8 Niche TV Streaming Networks That You Didn't Know Existed

Don’t ever refer to anime as cartoons! Fans of the Japanese animation style are notoriously insistent that the medium is a distinctive art form. Extensively followed across the world but still quite niche, it should come as no surprise that there are several competing streaming platforms that have it as their sole focal point, even though some of the more well-known franchises such as Pokemon, Fullmetal Alchemist and Cowboy Bebop have found homes on Netflix.

Crunchyroll is undoubtably leading the field, boasting Naruto and Dragon Ball amongst its selection of hundreds of different series, which it has supplemented with live action Asian drama series and will expand upon further with original content in 2019.

Funimation seems to be holding onto second place, even after the severance of their content-sharing agreement with Crunchyroll last year. Majority owned by Sony, it has corporate clout comparable to its former partner (which was acquired by WarnerMedia) and boasts the likes of Attack On Titan and Ghost In The Shell on its roster.

The presence of two large streaming services creates a major headache for anime fans, who are forced to shell out at least two subscription fees to access the content that they want. Expect the battle between the two to have one eventual winner, becoming the dominant Western outlet for anything and everything from Japan and potentially other countries such as South Korea.