Hidive (stylized in
all caps
In typography, text or font in all caps (short for "all capitals") contains capital letters without any lowercase letters. For example: All-caps text can be seen in legal documents, advertisements, newspaper headlines, and the titles on book co ...
) is an American
subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming
Streaming media refers to multimedia delivered through a network for playback using a media player. Media is transferred in a ''stream'' of packets from a server to a client and is rendered in real-time; this contrasts with file downl ...
service.
The service was launched in June 2017 after the dissolution of
The Anime Network's online service, which survived after the liquidation of the former
A.D. Vision
A.D. Vision Holdings, Inc. (known simply as ADV and also referred to as ADV Films) was an American multimedia entertainment distributor headquartered in Houston, Texas, and founded in 1992 by video game fan John Ledford and anime fans Matt Gr ...
's assets in 2009.
History
Early years
Hidive, LLC, a new company not affiliated with Anime Network, was formed in 2017 and shortly after, it acquired
Anime Network Online's assets and spun them off into the new streaming service following Anime Network Online's discontinuation.
Former subscriptions from Anime Network Online were later moved to Hidive.
It exclusively streams select licensed titles from Sentai and Section23, as well as a handful that was formerly held by A.D. Vision, including a small number of titles that were previously exclusive to the defunct streaming channel
Anime Strike
Anime Strike was a subscription-based video on demand service for Amazon Channels, focused on anime series and movies from various anime distributors. The service launched on January 12, 2017, and was closed on January 5, 2018, after which its ...
.
On July 21, 2017, Hidive announced the service would start to offer selected anime titles with Spanish and Portuguese subtitles and began offering "Dubcasts" later in March 2018. Similar to SimulDubs, it competes against
FUNimation
Funimation was an American Video on demand#Subscription models, subscription video on-demand Over-the-top media service, over-the-top Streaming media, streaming service. Launched in 2016, the service was one of the leading distributors of anime ...
's
SimulDub program. This allows Hidive to stream dubs of simulcast titles approximately two to three weeks after the initial Japanese broadcast.
On October 18, 2018,
VRV announced that Hidive would be launching its channel on its service, which replaced FUNimation Now, which left the service on November 9, 2018.
Sony announced its acquisition of VRV's parent company
Crunchyroll
Crunchyroll is an American Video on demand#Subscription models, subscription video on-demand Over-the-top media service, over-the-top Streaming media, streaming service owned by Sony, Sony Group Corporation. The service primarily distributes fi ...
from AT&T on August 9, 2021, via its FUNimation subsidiary. After the acquisition took effect, Hidive left the service on September 30 of that year.
AMC acquisition
Hidive was part of AMC Networks' acquisition of Sentai in January 2022.
In November 2023, the service announced that it will end service in certain areas outside North America, which went into effect later in December.
In March 2024, Hidive's website was updated with a new user interface. New features were also added, such as offline viewing, updated history queues, and the ability to create multiple customized watchlists. It later brought back the schedule and customized profiles features in August, both of which were features that were previously available prior to the major update of the site.
Programming
At launch, Hidive featured much of the same content as Anime Network Online, which in-itself featured notable titles licensed by
A.D. Vision
A.D. Vision Holdings, Inc. (known simply as ADV and also referred to as ADV Films) was an American multimedia entertainment distributor headquartered in Houston, Texas, and founded in 1992 by video game fan John Ledford and anime fans Matt Gr ...
and its successor,
Sentai Filmworks
Sentai Filmworks, LLC (or simply Sentai) is an American entertainment company. Located in Houston, the company specializes in the dubbing and distribution of Japanese animation and Asian cinema. Its post-production arm is Sentai Studios.
The ...
.
In September 2022, Hidive would briefly expand into original programing when it co-premiered the
AMC+
AMC+ is an American subscription video on demand streaming service owned by AMC Networks that was launched on June 11, 2020. The service is a premium bundle that includes the live feeds and program libraries of the company's television networks ...
original series ''
Pantheon''.
ANIME x HIDIVE
In April 2022, AMC announced the development of a Hidive-branded
Free ad-supported streaming television
Free advertising-supported streaming television (FAST) is a category of streaming television services which offer traditional linear television programming ("live TV") and studio-produced movies without a paid subscription, funded exclusively by a ...
(FAST) channel called "ANIME x HIDIVE", which would feature content licensed by Sentai and seen on the Hidive streaming service. The channel would launch on
Plex on March 10, 2023.
See also
*
List of anime distributed in the United States
*
List of anime releases made concurrently in the United States and Japan
References
External links
*
*
{{Authority control
2017 establishments in Texas
2017 establishments in the United States
2017 introductions
2022 mergers and acquisitions
Advertising video on demand
Android (operating system) software
Anime and manga websites
Internet properties established in 2017
Internet television streaming services
IOS software
Nerd culture
Sentai Filmworks
Subscription video on demand services
Universal Windows Platform apps
Xbox 360 software
Xbox One software
Xbox Series X and Series S software