Big changes are coming for Spring 2022 anime schedule as, after the merger with Funimation, Crunchyroll revealed that ad-supported free viewing of the shows in their library would no longer be available for streaming. This will only affect the new releases and all the titles already released prior to the announcement will remain available for all.
Crunchyroll released an official announcement that will definitely disappoint many anime viewers especially those who access the shows for free because starting on May 31, 2022, there will no longer be an ad-supported version that comes out for free a week after the premium access subscribers get first dibs on the titles.
As a way of adjustment, Spy x Family, A Couple of Cuckoos, Tomodachi Game, Shikimori’s Not Just a Cutie, Dawn of the Witch, Skeleton Knight in Another World, Trapped in a Dating Sim: The World of Otome Games is Tough for Mobs, and The Greatest Demon Lord is Reborn as a Typical Nobody will still be offered for free viewing as a “seasonal sampler.”
These articles would still be available to stream for free after a week of its premium access release but it will only be until May 31, the episodes that will air beyond the said date will require a subscription.
Related: Is Funimation Shutting Down Following Crunchyroll Merger? Everything You Need to Know
Crunchyroll offers the following premium subscription offers: FAN, an ad-free plan with unlimited access to Crunchyroll’s roster of shows available to stream an hour after the release of an episode for one device for $7.99 per month; and MEGA FAN, the same perks but this time, it has offline viewing and availability for four devices at a time for $9.99 per month pr $79.99 per year. If you want to try it out, a 14-Day Free Trial is also available.
This is to encourage viewers to subscribe to Crunchyroll’s premium access and receive its benefits. Crunchyroll reiterated that all the free releases already out in the open before Spring 2022 anime season will remain on the streaming platform for free.