News
Amazon Shuts Down Anime Strike Paid Streaming Service
posted on by Jennifer Sherman
Amazon U.S. shut down its Anime Strike paid streaming service on Friday after launching it on January 12, 2017. The service's official Twitter account has also been deactivated. Anime that formerly streamed on the platform are now available with an Amazon Prime subscription.
A spokesperson for Amazon confirmed with Forbes that the content from Anime Strike and Heera, an Amazon Channel for Bollywood content, have been added to Prime Video. The spokesperson said, "We have decided to move the curated catalogs of Anime Strike and Heera into Prime Video so that more customers can enjoy this content as part of their Prime membership." Subscribers of the service reported on Friday that their subscriptions were still active.
HIDIVE began streaming in December Hitorijime My Hero, Kabukibu!, Anonymous Noise, and Grimoire of Zero, which were previously exclusive to the Anime Strike platform in the United States.
The Anime Strike service offered some of Sentai Filmworks' simulcast titles. This past fall season it exclusively streamed DYNAMIC CHORD and the second seasons of Hozuki's Coolheadedness and ClassicaLoid. Sentai Filmworks' other fall season titles streamed on Anime Strike in the United States, but HIDIVE streamed the shows internationally.
The winter 2018 simulcasts Sentai Filmworks has announced thus far — Mitsuboshi Colors, Takunomi., Hakumei and Mikochi, The Seven Heavenly Virtues, Pop Team Epic, and Dame×Prince Anime Caravan — will all stream on HIDIVE.
Anime Strike offered more than 1,000 television anime episodes and films to Amazon Prime members in the United States for an additional subscription fee. The service cost US$4.99 per month, and a seven-day free trial was available. Some of the anime on the platform streamed with English subtitles, and some were available with an English dub.
Update: Amazon has sent emails to former Anime Strike subscribers informing them that their recurring subscriptions have been cancelled. Amazon will issue pro-rated refunds if service remains from the last billing cycle.
Thanks to Rukiia for the news tip.
Source: Forbes (Lauren Orsini)
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