U-Next (Japanese: ユーネクスト Yū-Nekusuto) is a Japanese streaming service. It was first launched on June 1, 2007 and is owned by the TBS Holdings group who are also known for running the TBS channel.
Information[]
U-Next was first launced under the name GyaO! Next on June 1, 2007.
On April 2009, GyaO! Next began offering music broadcasting from Usen, a cable broadcasting service. And in September 2009, the number of subscribers exceeded 100,000. As of November 2009, the service included approximately 25,000 videos (including 12,000 PPV videos), 15,000 karaoke videos, 9 channels, and 504 Usen music broadcast channels.
On December 1, 2009, GyaO! Next changed its name to U-Next.
U-Next began it partnership with 20th Century Fox, to distribute more than 150 films, in November 2013 and then with WarnerMedia, to exclusively distribute 199 HBO and HBO Max original productions in Japan by 2023, in March 2021.
The distributors who license content to U-Next include Warner Bros. Discovery, NBCUniversal, Paramount Global, TBS Television, and TV Tokyo, among others. In addition, NHK On Demand and SPOTV Now channel services are available for separate purchase through the U-Next platform.
Manga and magazines from publishers such as Shogakukan, Kodansha, Shueisha, Kadokawa, Shufu no Tomo, Takarajimasha, and Shinchosha are available for streaming. Over 10,000 manga titles and more than 180 magazine titles are available for free. In addition, popular manga magazines like Weekly Shōnen Magazine, Weekly Shōnen Jump, Weekly Young Jump, and Weekly Shōnen Champion can be purchased separately for reading. In November 2022, U-next launched an original comic label called "U-next Comic". The label is further divided into three sub-labels.
On February 17, 2023, PPJ announced that Paravi merged with U-Next on March 31. Paravi was scheduled to transfer its service to U-Next by July and its content can be viewed on U-Next's monthly plan thereafter.
Involvement in the Kamiwaza Wanda anime series[]
Starting with the original Kamiwaza Wanda anime season on April 27, 2016, 4 days after the said season premiered on TBS, U-Next distributes the original Japanese version of the Kamiwaza Wanda anime series.
U-Next is yet to distribute further seasons of the Kamiwaza Wanda anime series after they first air on either TBS or another Japanese TV channel in the future.
Trivia[]
- Since U-Next has been distributing manga titles as well as movies and television programs, it would be distributing manga titles from the Kamiwaza Wanda franchise's manga line.
Links[]
- U-Next website (Japanese)
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