Crunchyroll Ending Its Free Tier: “Social Listening” Blog Post
Why I Chose This Topic
I chose to write about Crunchyroll ending its free, ad-supported tier because I personally use Crunchyroll and anime is extremely popular right now. In early December the company announced that free streaming with ads would end as well as there being an increase in plan prices. Since Crunchyroll is the largest legal anime streaming service and as an anime fan myself I was curious on how a lot of fans would react on social media. This decision directly affects a huge community of viewers and I was interested in seeing how fans responded and how Crunchyroll would handle the backlash, and what this situation reveals about marketing power when a company has limited competition.
Background on Crunchyroll
Crunchyroll is a streaming service that mainly focuses on anime, but also includes anime movies, manga, and a small amount of live-action Asian shows. It offers users a large library of licensed anime, which includes simulcasts that get aired after episodes release in Japan. Crunchyroll’s value proposition is giving fans legal, high-quality access to anime, while being faster and more reliable than its competitors. Over time, Crunchyroll became the dominant platform in the anime streaming market after mergers and licensing deals gave it control to most major titles.
Company URL: https://www.crunchyroll.com
What People Are Saying on Social Media
Comment 1: Confusion and Frustration
“Bruh are you telling me I have to pay another tier just to have Crunchy without ads now?” — Reddit user in r/Crunchyroll
This comment shows confusion and frustration about the recent change. The user thinks they have to upgrade to an additional tier to avoid ads now, showing that Crunchyroll’s communication was not fully clear to everyone. It also demonstrates anger towards having to paying more in general. The reaction shows how the increase in prices upset some users.
Comment 2: Mixed Reactions
“It’s a move that’s sure to be unpopular…”
“Lame but to me free Crunchyroll was unwatchable with how many ads there are!” — Reddit users in r/dbz
These comments show two sides of the reaction. One user states that the decision will be unpopular, while the other doesn’t care because the free version was already terrible due to the ads. This shows that while some users may not like the change, others already don't mind about removing the free ad version. From a marketing perspective, this suggests Crunchyroll may not lose many users because some viewers didn't really care for the free ad version in the first place.
Comment 3: Loss of Free Access
“I can’t believe they’re making us pay now. I just wanted free anime…” — Reddit user in r/Crunchyroll
This comment reflects disappointment from users who used the ad-free version. It shows that the change affects users who are unable to pay or rather use the free version. This highlights a downside of Crunchyroll’s decision, because it removes accessibility for some viewers.
Crunchyroll’s Social Media Presence
Crunchyroll has about 5.9 million followers on Instagram. Their content mostly includes anime clips, announcements, memes, and promotional posts. For the most part it seems to post on a regular basis generating high engagement from anime fans through likes, comments, and shares. This helps keep fans engaged even during controversial changes.
Marketing Analysis and Challenges
Crunchyroll’s biggest marketing challenge right now is managing negative responses without damaging their long-term loyalty. Instead of trying to please everyone, Crunchyroll prioritizes revenue over accessibility. This decision shows the market power they have and shows they are not trying to be remarkable or use storytelling. Instead, they are relying on their dominance over the anime market to force users to accept the change. It is effective due to the lack of strong competitors.
Company Response to Backlash
Crunchyroll did not directly respond to user complaints about the free tier ending or price changes. I think this was a strategic decision because while people were upset, Crunchyroll’s position as the largest anime streaming service ensures most users will not leave. Since there are few legal alternatives with comparable libraries, many fans rather accept the change.
If I Were the Brand Manager
If I were the brand manager, I would still move forward with the change the same way the current brand manager did. I would share the free tier being removed and price increases. The only thing that I would probably change is bringing an upside towards the 2 bad changes so users didn't feel too affected by it. Outside of social media, Crunchyroll could offer limited time discounts to reduce backlash.
What I Learned
This assignment taught me that companies with strong market control can create unpopular changes to themselves and still succeed. Customers are more likely to accept price increases because they truly value a product and have no strong alternatives.In Crunchyroll's case it shows how power, branding, and lack of competition can outweigh short-term customer frustration.
Sources:
https://www.reddit.com/r/dbz/comments/1pg0c88/rip_free_crunchyroll/
https://www.reddit.com/r/Crunchyroll/comments/1pg1thz/crunchyroll_is_officially_ending_its_free/
https://www.ubergizmo.com/2025/12/no-more-free-crunchyroll/
https://cordcuttersnews.com/crunchyroll-is-shutting-down-its-free-ad-supported-plan/
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