Sony pulls Crunchyroll, home entertainment releases from Russia

Screenshot: Crunchyroll

According to a report from Variety, Sony Pictures Entertainment has stopped all operations in Russia, halted home entertainment releases, such as Spider-Man: No Way Home, and temporarily blocked access to its streaming service, Crunchyroll. Any TV distribution deals in the country will be paused.

SPE CEO Tony Vinciquerra said in an email to employees that they stand with many businesses around the world who have paused their business operations in Russia. This morning, Crunchyroll suspended its service in Russia.

A process that has already started taking place is the merger of Funimation and Crunchyroll, which was announced by Sony last August. ComicBook.com pointed out that a translated message on the Russian website of Crunchyroll said that it was forced to suspend its work in Russia. Funimation is not available in Russia.

Sony pulled Morbius and other future theatrical releases from Russia last month, with the Sony-owned PlayStation suspending all sales and shipments to the country this week. Sony's music division is shutting down its operations in Russia on Thursday.

Warner Bros., Disney, Paramount, Universal, and many other companies have pulled sales and services from Russia.