Funimation Entertainment

Funimation Entertainment

Infobox Company
name = Funimation Entertainment

type = Subsidiary
genre = Anime, Japanese films
foundation = Fort Worth, Texas, U.S. (1994)
founder = Gen Fukunaga
location_city = Flower Mound, Texas
location_country = USA
location =
locations =
area_served =
key_people = Gen Fukunaga CEO
industry = multimedia entertainment
products =
services =
revenue =
operating_income =
net_income =
assets =
equity =
owner = Navarre Corporation
num_employees =
parent =
divisions =
subsid =
slogan =
homepage = http://funimation.com
footnotes =

Funimation Entertainment (previously known as Funimation Productions, and usually stylized as FUNimation) is an American entertainment company. Originally founded in 1994 by Gen Fukunaga, the company became a subsidiary of Navarre Corporation on May 11, 2005. Funimation company produces, markets, and distributes anime and other entertainment properties in the United States and international markets. Funimation is currently headquartered in Flower Mound, Texas. [cite news |url=http://www.star-telegram.com/business/story/128185.html |publisher=Fort-Worth Star Telegram |title=Funimation moving headquarters to Flower Mound |date=2007-06-07 |accessdate=2007-06-07 ]

History

Funimation was founded in 1994 in Fort Worth, Texas, by Gen Fukunaga. [cite news |url=http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/6036.html |title=Interview with Gen Fukunaga, Part 1 |publisher=ICv2 |date=2004-11-01 |accessdate=2008-02-08 ] The company rose to prominence by acquiring the rights to the popular anime title "Dragon Ball Z", its prequel series "Dragon Ball" and its sequel series "Dragon Ball GT". By 1999, they were able to get widespread television exposure via Cartoon Network and the "Dragon Ball" phenomenon quickly grew in the United States as it had elsewhere. Two previous attempts by Funimation to release "Dragon Ball" to network television had previously been canceled, before the series and the company found success on Cartoon Network.

On May 11, 2005, Funimation was acquired by Navarre Corporation for US$100.4 million in cash and 1.8 million shares of Navarre stock. As part of the acquisition, the president Fukunaga was retained as head of the company, transitioning to the position of CEO, and the company's name was changed from Funimation Productions to Funimation Entertainment. [cite press release |url=http://ir.navarre.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=105157&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=709018&highlight= |publisher=Navarre Corporation |title=Navarre Corporation Acquires Funimation, and Provides Financial Update and Guidance |date=2005-05-11 |accessdate=2006-07-08 ] [cite press release |url=http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/6866.html |publisher=ICv2 |title=Navarre Completes Funimation Acquisition |date=2005-05-12 |accessdate=2008-02-08 ]

According to an interview in February 2008 with Navarre Corporation CEO Cary Deacon, Funimation was in early stage negotiations to acquire some of the titles licensed through Geneon's USA division, which ceased operations in December 2007. [cite news |url=http://www.icv2.com/articles/home/12043.html |publisher=ICv2 |title=Navarre/FUNimation Interested in Some Geneon Titles |date=2008-02-08 |accessdate=2008-02-08 ] In July 2008, Funimation confirmed that they had acquired distribution rights to several Geneon titles, including some that Geneon had left unfinished when they ceased operations. [cite press release |url=http://funimation.com/f_index.cfm?page=news&id=454 |publisher=funimation.com |title=FUNimation Entertainment and Geneon Entertainment Sign Exclusive Distribution Agreement for North America |date=2008-07-03 |accessdate=2008-07-03 ]

At Anime Expo 2008, Funimation announced that it had acquired over 30 titles from the Sojitz catalog that had previously been licensed by ADV Films. [cite press release |url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2008-07-04/funimation-picks-up-over-30-former-ad-vision-titles |publisher=animenewsnetwork.com |title=Funimation Picks Up Over 30 Former AD Vision Titles |date=2008-07-04 |accessdate=2008-07-04 ]

Reaction to fansubbing

In 2005, Funimation's legal department began to pursue a more aggressive approach toward protecting their licensed properties, and started sending "cease and desist" (C&D) letters to sites offering links to fansubs of their titles. This move was similar to that taken by ADV Films several years before with several of the major torrent sites.

Funimation's legal department served C&D letters for series that had not yet been advertised or announced as licensed, including "Tsubasa Chronicle", "Black Cat (manga)", and "Solty Rei", with a few known series also mentioned in the letter [cite web| url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/article.php?id=7979|title=Funimation Enforces Intellectual Property Rights (ANN)| accessdate=2006-10-14] . Funimation repeated this method of "announcing license via Cease and Desist" letters on 2006-10-06 when it sent letters to torrent sites demanding that distribution of "xxxHolic"'s TV series, Mushishi, Ragnarok the Animation and other series cease. [cite web| url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/article.php?id=9625|title=Funimation Sends out Cease & Desist Letters For Multiple Anime (ANN)| accessdate=2006-10-14]

Foreign distribution

Funimation does not directly release its properties in non-U.S. (English language-speaking) markets, instead sublicensing to other companies such as Revelation Films in the United Kingdom and Madman Entertainment in Australia and New Zealand.

Towards the end of 2005, "Fullmetal Alchemist" (along with Beez Entertainment's "Wolf's Rain") became one of the flagship programs on the relaunch of satellite channel Rapture TV and had only one edit, that of changing the opening to "Ready, Steady, Go!!" (the second opening), instead of the few minor edits the show received for its Adult Swim airings. "Yu Yu Hakusho" has also been acquired for television broadcast in the UK. However, it has not been announced who has picked it up and who the intended audience is.

Funimation Channel

Funimation has launched the "Funimation Channel", the second 24 hour anime digital cable network in North America, (the first being A.D. Vision's Anime Network) OlympuSAT is the exclusive distributor and the Funimation Channel is now available to video service providers.On May 1st, 2008 however Funimation pulled all their programing from Colours TV. Funimation has yet to give a reason for the cancellation.

Mobile distribution

In July 2008, Funimation and Red Planet Media announced the launch of a mobile video-on-demand service for AT&T and Sprint mobile phone subscribers. [cite news |url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/press-release/2008-07-09/full-seasons-of-the-best-anime-from-funimation-channel-launch-on-jumpinmobile.tv-the-new-mobile-video-on-demand-service-from-red-planet-media |title=Full Seasons of the Best Anime from FUNimation Channel Launch on JumpInMobile.TV – The New Mobile Video-on-Demand Service from Red Planet Media |publisher=Anime News Network |date=2008-07-09 |accessdate=2008-07-09 ] Three titles were part of the launch, "Gunslinger Girl", "Tsukuyomi -Moon Phase-", and "Galaxy Railways", with entire seasons of each made available.

YouTube

On September 19, 2006, Funimation created an official channel on YouTube where they upload advertisements for box sets, anime clips and some preview episodes from their licensed series.

References

ee also

*Properties licensed by Funimation

External links

* [http://www.funimation.com/ Funimation]
* [http://www.funimationchannel.com/ Funimation Channel]
* [http://www.funimationfilms.com Funimation Films]
* [http://www.youtube.com/user/FUNimation Official Funimation YouTube channel]
* [http://jumpinmobile.tv/funimation Funimation on JumpInMobile.TV]
*ann company|id=6515|name=FUNimation Entertainment


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