Crunchyroll's Merchandise Money Grab: A New Low in the Era of Pay to Shop The latest move by Sony owned Crunchyroll to lock its merchandise store behind a paywall is a perfect storm of greed, poor timing, and a blatant disregard for the fans who have made the platform successful.
The company's decision to restrict access to exclusive items, collaborations, and premium releases to only those subscribers willing to shell out $14 or $18 per month, respectively, is a clear money grab that will likely backfire in the long run.
This development comes on the heels of a wave of similar moves by companies to monetize every aspect of their services.