AMC Networks snags anime streamer HIDIVE following Sentai acquisition

Made In Abyss

AMC Networks in the US has added anime-focused streamer HIDIVE to its growing portfolio of niche OTT services, following its acquisition of Houston-based anime distributor Sentai Holdings.

The deal also includes Sentai’s anime content and merchandise, as well as Cool Japan Fund, a public-private Japanese investment fund, which AMC said would help it to expand its relationships with content creators in the country.

AMC added that HIDIVE “represents a strong new addition” to its portfolio of targeted streaming services, alongside AMC+, Acorn TV, Shudder, Sundance Now and ALLBLK.

Sentai’s executive management team of John Ledford, Griffin Vance, and Paul Clinkscales will remain in their senior roles at the company, which distributes anime content to services including Crunchyroll, Hulu and Amazon Prime.

The company’s library includes titles such as Made In Abyss, Akame Ga Kill, Food Wars! and Is it Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?

“With a seasoned team, strong content and direct-to-consumer offerings for fans around the world, Sentai is a key global player in anime,” commented AMC Networks interim CEO Matt Blank. “This acquisition builds on AMC Networks’ already strong IP and franchises and furthers our targeted streaming strategy of super-serving passionate audiences with content depth, curation and community.”

Sentai founder Ledford added that the acquisition “will not change Sentai’s mission to deliver the most exciting anime content to audiences around the world” and said that it will instead “expand it greatly and will give our content businesses more distribution, more partnerships, more scale and more reach.”