Apple TV adds Crunchyroll to its roster ahead of One Piece return

Crunchyroll, the global powerhouse for anime streaming, has officially launched as an integrated Apple TV Channel in the United Kingdom, bringing its entire catalogue of over 50,000 episodes directly into the Apple ecosystem. The move allows fans to subscribe through the Apple TV app on Apple devices, smart TVs, and gaming consoles, providing a unified interface for those who prefer to manage their entertainment through a single portal.

The integration arrives as the platform experiences unprecedented growth in the British market. According to recent internal data, the UK has surged into Crunchyroll’s top 10 global markets, with fans streaming over 5.5 billion minutes of content in the past year alone. Notably, UK viewers are the most dedicated proponents of original-language viewing, with 48% of fans opting for subtitles over dubbed versions – the highest percentage of any territory in the world.

Integration Challenges

While the launch is a significant win for accessibility, it carries a technical caveat that may frustrate the platform’s 15 million existing subscribers. Our investigation into the Apple TV Channel architecture confirms that current Crunchyroll Premium members cannot link their standalone accounts to the Apple-integrated version.

Because the service is handled directly by Apple’s billing and interface systems, fans who wish to use the Apple TV Channel must start a fresh subscription billed through their Apple ID. While new channels on Apple TV+ have become somewhat rare following the 2025 launch of Peacock, this specific “walled garden” approach remains a standard friction point for third-party integrations.

Rahul Purini’s Global Vision

The expansion is part of a broader corporate pivot led by President Rahul Purini. Speaking at a London industry event in April 2025 (as reported by C21Media), Purini outlined an ambitious plan to transform the service from a niche streaming site into a “360-degree lifestyle platform” for the estimated 1.5 billion anime enthusiasts worldwide.

Rahul Purini, President of Crunchyroll, said in a statement during that presentation:

Anime has gone from being a subculture to a mainstream culture. It’s gone from being a cult following to a global phenomenon. We’re not just talking about stories or characters, but really about a movement.”

This “movement” has necessitated significant internal restructuring. In August 2025, Crunchyroll underwent a global reorganisation designed to shift resources toward regionally empowered teams. While this resulted in some staff departures in established hubs, the company has focused on building new engineering and production centres in India and Mexico to capture emerging markets.

The Return of the Straw Hats

The timing of the Apple TV launch is strategically set just ahead of the return of One Piece on 5 April 2026. Following a three-month hiatus, the series will begin the Elbaph Arc, introducing Loki, Prince of Elbaph, voiced by Yuichi Nakamura (famed for his role as Satoru Gojo in Jujutsu Kaisen).

However, fans must adjust to a fundamental shift in how the series is delivered. Toei Animation has confirmed that One Piece will move to a “two-cour” annual broadcast format, producing approximately 26 episodes per year rather than the traditional weekly year-round schedule. This change aims to improve the animation quality and pacing, ensuring the series remains competitive alongside modern visual spectacles like Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End and Sentenced to Be a Hero.

For fans seeking a physical connection to the medium, Crunchyroll has launched an exclusive shadow-form variant of the Solo Leveling – Igris Youtooz Vinyl Figure. This follows the massive success of the Solo Leveling anime, which Purini cited as a key example of how Korean webtoons are being successfully integrated into the Japanese anime pipeline.