On June 1, 2026, Taiwanese media outlet Commercial Times reported that a fierce competition for Japanese anime is underway in Hollywood, US.

The article stated, 'Japanese anime, once a niche presence in Western pop culture, has now become one of the most attention-grabbing businesses in Hollywood. Entertainment companies are all pouring significant funds into it, competing to incorporate anime works into their video streaming services. Crunchyroll, an anime streaming service under Sony, saw its user base increase by approximately 25% in the past year, reaching 21 million. Meanwhile, many major Hollywood streaming services have seen their user growth stagnate, with some even ceasing to announce user numbers to avoid looking inferior.'

It continued, 'How popular is Japanese anime currently in the United States? According to Japanese market research firm GEM Partners, in 2025, 22% of people in the US watched anime titles such as "Jujutsu Kaisen" and "Hell's Paradise," meaning more than one in five people are exposed to anime. As of 2020, this figure was only 10%, indicating a rapid expansion of the anime viewer base. According to US research firm Nielsen, the time US users spent watching anime on Crunchyroll in January 2026 reached 4.4 billion minutes. This is more than double the 2.1 billion minutes recorded in the same month of 2024. These figures indicate that Japanese anime has grown from a minor form of entertainment to widely accepted entertainment and continues to expand in popularity.'

It also stated, 'The increase in anime fans in the US is leading to an expansion in related merchandise sales. According to research firm Precedence Research, spending on anime-related content and merchandise in North America is projected to be $4.38 billion (approximately 700 billion yen) in 2025, further increasing to $5.19 billion (approximately 820 billion yen) in 2026. The market size is now too large to ignore. Regarding why Japanese anime is so popular in the US, Rahul Purini, CEO of Crunchyroll, said, "We hear from fans that anime stories are original, the characters are relatable, and they explore themes not found in other entertainment works."'

Furthermore, 'Regarding Purini's view, Eve Berquist, CEO of consumer research firm Corto, also agreed, analyzing the background by saying, "The very elements that once made anime a niche presence are now the key to its success. Viewers are looking for something new, and this trend is particularly strong among younger demographics." According to Corto's research, online discussions about Japanese anime have increased by 400% over the past six years, now rivaling the volume of discussions about horror works. Additionally, approximately 31% of people discussing anime on online forums are casual anime fans. The fact that this percentage was only 14% three years ago indicates that the Japanese anime viewership is steadily expanding,' it was reported.

Finally, 'Purini believes that the rapid increase in casual fans was generated by the enthusiasm of core fans. He says that by passionately discussing anime, core fans become a driving force for drawing others into anime culture. Furthermore, GEM Partners' research shows an interesting trend: people who have watched anime since childhood tend to continue watching it as adults and do not easily stop. While the existing viewer base does not decrease, new generations are also entering the world of anime one after another through their empathy for the works. In this way, Japanese anime has deeply rooted itself in Western society and continues to grow steadily,' the report concluded. (Translation/Editing by Iwata)