‘Anime is Niche No More': Crunchyroll EVP Mitch Berger Teases 2025 Slate at Annecy
Crunchyroll, a global anime brand and streaming service that recently topped 17 million subscribers, is consolidating ever more as a major entertainment player.
As its platform now boasts the largest of dedicated anime libraries, Crunchyroll teams dedicate their energy to reaching new audiences via an immersive world of events, exciting theatrical releases, unique games, must-have merchandise, timely news, and more.
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Ahead of the simultaneous gigantic anime events that are Anime Expo in L.A. and Japan Expo in Paris, Crunchyroll's presence at Annecy is impossible to miss. From Bonlieu's main venues pillars with 'Demon Slayer' garments to Crunchyroll animes presented at the festival, the company is showcasing to professionals, students and animation enthusiasts alike their global hits as well as their new strategy.
'Anime is niche no more,' said Crunchyroll EVP of global commerce and head of theatrical Michel Berger as he introduced an Annecy Crunchyroll Studio Focus 2025 – a presentation that highlighted anime's meteoric growth and how Crunchyroll has fuelled that growth.
'Every time I'm able to come to Annecy, I truly feel at home,' he emphasized. 'It's an event and festival that not only embraces and celebrates the art of animation, but it's part of everyone's DNA.'
For Berger, anime – which has had to free itself from the same 'genre' etiquette animation still has in some circles – is a unique storytelling medium that speaks to fans worldwide, powered by dynamic characters, stunning visuals and amazing new worlds that make a really emotional connection with an ever-growing audience.
According to Crunchyroll's EVP, anime fandom will reach at least 1.5 billion by 2030, even without including Japan and China. And Berger isn't just looking into his crystal ball; he brought data to back it up.
Surveying nearly 29,000 respondents from ages 13-54 in seven global markets, the latest Crunchyroll study —conducted by National Research Group (NRG)— underscored anime's growing role as both a cultural foundation and emotional outlet for younger audiences.
According to the study, anime now stands shoulder to shoulder with the biggest icons in music and sports among Gen Z. 54% of Gen Z make their love for anime known, putting it ahead of Kendrick Lamar (48%), nearly on par with Beyoncé (56%), and just behind LeBron James (59%) and Taylor Swift (60%).
The connection is even stronger among teens, with nearly 60% of 13–17-year-olds identifying as anime fans. 44% of general entertainment consumers from 13 to 54 identify as anime fans, surpassing —per Berger— other global genres like K-dramas and Bollywood, with regional nuances indicating emerging growth in markets such as the United Kingdom.
Furthermore, social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube have transformed anime discovery and engagement. According to the study, 82% of fans discuss anime socially, with clips and reels now serving as Gen Z's primary discovery gateway.
'Anime isn't just something our audience watches', added Berger. 'It's something they feel.' With a four quadrant global fandom more and more diverse, anime faces a growing demand for stories that reflect a wide range of populations – including strong female leads, LGBTQ+ characters and narratives that can appeal to global audiences.
The same worldwide fans who cast their vote a few weeks ago for the Crunchyroll Anime Awards, hailed by New York Magazine as 'the Oscars of Anime,' this year, more than 51 million votes were cast, concluding in a Tokyo-based ceremony that fans could also watch online. 'Solo Leveling,' a Crunchyroll-Aniplex-backed project produced by A-1 Pictures, took away Anime of the Year.
Crunchyroll is now looking to expand its experience to offer their subscribers and fans more than just something to watch. From standalone games to music, collectibles, immersive events, and theatrical releases.
Theatrical is a dear topic to Berger. Coming out of COVID, Crunchyroll put 'Demon Slayer: Mugen Train' into theaters and made over $500 million at the global box office, a theatrical run holding today the record as the highest-grossing Japanese anime movie of all time. And —according to Berger— the momentum continues to grow as younger audiences love anime as much as they want to experience it together.
Earlier this week, Crunchyroll and Sony Pictures International announced they had acquired select international theatrical rights for the compilation film 'Jujutsu Kaisen: Hidden Inventory (Premature Death – The Movie')
This beloved TV series —animated by award-winning 'Attack On Titan' studio MAPPA— turns into a cinematic experience that will delight fans all over the world this summer, powered by Crunchyroll in select European markets, Latin America and Australia.
In the U.S., GKIDS releases the film on July 16.
Berger concluded his presentation by sharing footage from the upcoming 'Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Infinity Castle'. The film is scheduled to be released by Aniplex and Toho on July 18, 2025, in Japan. Crunchyroll will distribute the film in international markets through Sony Pictures Releasing, hitting U.S. theaters on Sept. 12.
Should Hollywood execs 'Forget Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman' and rely on anime to save the box office, as Washington Post reporter Sonny Bunch suggested three years ago? Crunchyroll teams definitely think so.
Two of Crunchyroll's anime are represented in the TV Films category at Annecy this year. 'Metallic Rouge', a sci-fi action-packed series created by 'My Hero Academia' production company Bones, is competing alongside beloved adaptation 'Anne Shirley', based on the late 1900s novel series 'Anne of Green Gables' by Lucy Maud Montgomery.
The full NRG Crunchyroll study is available here.
More to come…
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