Crunchyroll Expands in Thailand as U.S. Subscription Price Hike Sparks Debate
Operated by Sony Group (Sony Pictures Entertainment and Aniplex), one of the world’s largest anime streaming platform Crunchyroll, recently announced on February 4 that it will expand into the Thai market, adding a Thai-language user interface and providing Thai voiceover and subtitles for more popular anime series.
Crunchyroll continues to expand in the Thai market
Currently, the Crunchyroll Thai anime library already boasts over 500 titles. This promotion will see an additional 70 titles added, with popular new series from January 2026 such as the third season of “Jujutsu Kaisen” and the second season of “Frieren” now available with Thai subtitles and voiceovers.
The subscription price for users in the Thai region is 99 THB/month or 799 THB/year; the Super Member subscription price is 119 THB/month or 999 THB/year.
Crunchyroll’s subscription price hike in the US and other regions sparks heated discussion
On February 2 official announced that subscription prices for members in the U.S. and other regions will be adjusted, with monthly fees generally increasing by $2. The adjusted monthly fees for different membership tiers are as follows:
Fan Tier: $7.99 → $9.99/month (New membership benefit: Supports offline downloads on a single device)
Mega Fan Tier: $11.99 → $13.99/month
Ultimate Fan Tier: $15.99 → $17.99/month
Crunchyroll has launched an annual subscription discount promotion at $69.9/year (original price $79.9/year). For members who have already subscribed, the new subscription plan pricing will take effect in their next billing cycle after March 4, 2026. The official announcement states that this price adjustment will be used to introduce more licensed anime content and provide better membership benefits and services. In addition to the United States, subscription prices in other regions such as Europe and Australia have also increased. Please refer to the official announcement for specific details.
The price hike has sparked heated discussions in the community. Some expressed dissatisfaction with the price increase and the decline in platform service quality, while others noted that this is the first price adjustment since 2019 and falls within a reasonable range.
Another recent news story has also attracted attention. A U.S. government report indicates that pressure will be applied to pirated anime websites, with over 400 domains of pirated anime and manga sites (including HiAnime, 9anime, Aniwatch, etc.) listed as key targets for monitoring. The report states that in 2025, Japan's direct and indirect economic losses caused by rampant piracy are estimated to exceed $30 billion. Original news article link.
The International Intellectual Property Alliance (IIPA) recommends that regions where piracy websites are rampant, such as India, adopt strict measures, including swift removal of infringing content, establishment of robust enforcement mechanisms, and legal reforms.
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