According to a report on AnimeNewsNetwork, and a social media post by @MangaAlerts, the ad-supported tier on the Crunchyroll streaming platform will end on 31st December 2025. This means from 1st January 2026, a paid Crunchyroll subscription will be required to watch any content on the streaming platform.
The news of ad-supported streaming coming to an end on Crunchyroll was (ironically) revealed through an advert on the platform. Originally Crunchyroll offered Ad-Supported, Fan and Mega-Fan account tiers, with the Fan and Mega-Fan account tiers being paid subscriptions, and offering no adverts with full access to the Crunchyroll catalog. The Ad-Supported account tier meanwhile allowed Crunchyroll account holders to watch selective titles for free (with adverts at random moments throughout the episode), with titles including Chainsaw Man and Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury.
So, what exactly does this mean? Well, if you are currently a paying Crunchyroll subscriber then this news does not effect you and you can continue to watch titles on Crunchyroll without any concerns. However, if you have a Crunchyroll account that isn’t a paid subscription then after the 31st December 2025 you will no longer be able to stream any of the (free) shows. Basically, from 1st January 2026 a paid subscription to Crunchyroll will be required to watch all content, just like Netflix, Disney+ and other streaming services.
The termination of ad-supported streaming on Crunchyroll can be considered the “end of an era” for the streaming platform, as originally the ad-supported account tier offered a way for newcomers to experience anime without committing to a subscription.
