Crunchyroll Store Australia

• 1. Mail Order Beginnings

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  Tim Anderson and Paul Wiegard established Madman Entertainment in 1996 as a mail order business. They targeted the Australian market with imported anime titles after seeing success elsewhere. The company initially sold physical media on VHS tapes to local fans. This approach allowed them to build a dedicated customer base before expanding their catalog. In 1995, they became the second Australian distributor to author DVDs in-house. Their first DVD release was the film Ghost in the Shell. By 1998, the company began airing anime on television networks like SBS TV. Neon Genesis Evangelion aired during this period to reach wider audiences.

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• 2. Streaming Service Evolution

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  Madman Entertainment launched the Madman Screening Room video on demand service in early 2008. School Rumble served as the first title available on this new platform. The company later introduced AnimeLab Pty. Ltd. as a specialized streaming service for Australia and New Zealand. AnimeLab originally launched in beta on the 28th of May 2014 with 50 series and 700 episodes. During its beta phase, the website streamed content without advertisements or paid subscriptions. On the 26th of May 2015, the service exited beta and introduced a paid subscription model alongside free ad-based access. AnimeLab also simulcasted Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works despite licensing conflicts with other distributors. The service reached one million users by August 2018.

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• 3. Sony Acquisition Process

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  On the 15th of November 2017, Sony Music Entertainment Japan subsidiary Aniplex acquired a minority interest in Madman Anime Group. Tim Anderson confirmed this deal on the 17th of February 2018 while serving as CEO. Five V Capital sold Madman Anime Group to Aniplex entirely on the 6th of February 2019. This transaction transferred full ownership of the Australian division to the Japanese conglomerate. Aniplex subsequently consolidated their international anime streaming services under a joint venture. Funimation, Madman Anime Group, and Wakanim merged into a single operational structure. The consolidation reorganized AnimeLab as a direct subsidiary of Funimation. This move marked a significant shift from independent operation to corporate integration within the Sony ecosystem.

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• 4. Corporate Rebranding Shift

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  The company changed its name to Crunchyroll Pty. Ltd. on the 23rd of March 2022. This change followed the rebranding of parent company Funimation to Crunchyroll LLC. Prior to this transition, AnimeLab announced it would begin rebranding as Funimation on the 17th of June 2021. Current subscriber credentials were transitioned onto the new website during that period. Staff members also moved to Funimation ANZ operations. On the 9th of December 2021, AnimeLab officially retired the service after merging all titles onto the platform. The final consolidation created a unified front for Asian entertainment distribution across Australia and New Zealand. This rebranding aligned local operations with global branding strategies established by Sony Pictures Entertainment.

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