Animax Launches in the UK

Date: 2013 October 25 17:43

Posted by Joe

The first day of the MCM London Comic Con has just ended, we know people are partying into the night, but we're stopping to tell you the latest news from the event.

A new UK streaming / video on demand service has just launched Animax UK. The division of Sony are showing anime on a model similar to BBC iPlayer. The shows are simulcast for everyone to watch for free for 2 weeks. After that they go into the archive where paid subscribers can access the shows. Subscriptions cost £5.99 a month, and will also remove ads from any shows.

Depending on how much anime you watch a month, this could be a good way of catching up with titles without paying for a boxset.

What makes them a bit different, is apart from offering simulcasts they also have movies for paid subscribers, and also offer viewers the choice to watch shows dubbed in English where available, or in Japanese with English subtitles.

If you're going to the MCM London Comic Con this weekend (Friday 25th to Sunday 27th October 2013), you should pop over to their stall for a chance to win a big Sony TV.

It seems along with other legal streaming services Wakanim.co.uk and Crunchyroll, there are lots of ways to watch anime on-line now.

Full Story

Press release as follows:

ANIMAX UK TO LAUNCH VIDEO ON DEMAND SERVICE ON FRIDAY, 25 OCTOBER 2013 NEW TO THE UK, JAPAN'S #1 ANIME DESTINATION, ANIMAXREVEALS LINE-UP AND PLANS FOR MCM LONDON COMIC-CON

London, 25th October 2013: Japan's leading anime destination, ANIMAX, today announced further details regarding its UK Video On Demand launch, going live this Friday 25th October at www.animaxtv.co.uk. The platform aims to become the UK's ultimate anime destination, showcasing a unique model providing free limited anime content for all users, in addition to a subscription service offering unlimited advert-freeaccess to the genre's best movies and series, and authentic, addictive, UK-first content.

Under the SVoD service, for a monthly fee of £5.99, subscribers can expect to indulge in complete seasons of the world's most loved anime, including BLACK LAGOON, DEATH NOTE, and VAMPIRE KNIGHT, in addition to exclusive popular films such as BLEACH and BERSERK only the touch of a button away.

The channel will welcome free titles throughout the autumn with the likes of MAGI: THE LABYRINTH OF MAGIC Season 2 and COPPELION set to appear, and in the future will look to stream original programming from Sony Pictures Television's ANIMAX channel in Japan, and host exclusive behind the scenes interviews and content from the wide world of anime.

The service is launching with a 2 week all-access free trial, showcasing some of the channels most reputable anime content, and is planned to expand onto Playstation in the coming months, to become the exclusive anime VOD service provider on PS3.

The website goes live in time for this year's MCM London Comic-Con, and ANIMAX will have a significant presence at Europe's largest convention, taking place from Friday 25th – Sunday 27th October. Operating from Booth 96 the channel will host exclusive anime screenings each and every day, offer fans the chance to take special 3Dphotographs or have their portrait done by on-site anime artists, and be the site of a live large-scale drawing by award-winning manga artist Siku.

Convention-goers will have the opportunity to discover the ANIMAX content first hand and for those that activate their 2 week free trial during the convention weekend will be able to register to win Siku's finished work of art or a 50 inch Sony TV.