ANIME
NETWORK
LAUNCHES NEW
BROADBAND
SERVICE
New Hit
Series
Gurren
Lagann Leads
Off Lineup
December 19,
2007 – Anime
Network,
America’s #1
Anime
Channel,
today
announced a
new
broadband
service to
stream
high-quality
anime on the
Internet.
This new
service is
free to the
consumer,
who can
expect to
find over 20
full
episodes of
classic and
brand new
anime series
available at
any given
time. For
the full
range of
Anime
Network’s
Internet
offerings,
visit
www.theanimenetworkonline.com.
Anime
Network’s
online
programming
is
ad-supported,
with five or
more new
episodes
rotating
through
every
Thursday.
The
Network’s
lineup
includes
anime
classics
like
Rahxephon
and Saiyuki
as well as
new, ongoing
series such
as Ah! My
Goddess:
Flights of
Fancy and
Kurau
Phantom
Memory.
Anime
Network
Online will
present
these series
in their
entirety
over the
coming
months.
Already more
than 60,000
anime
episodes
have
streamed
since the
beta launch
in
mid-November.
Beginning
today Anime
Network will
broadcast
brand new
series over
the
Internet,
including
series that
have not yet
been
released on
home video
in North
America.
These “First
Look”
Internet
broadcasts,
which will
begin
running
months
before the
DVD series
is launched,
will feature
the Japanese
language
track with
English
subtitles
and.
Anime
Network’s
inaugural
First Look
program is
the
much-anticipated
mecha series
Gurren
Lagann, from
Studio
GAINAX (Neon
Genesis
Evangelion).
According to
Anime
Insider,
Gurren
Lagann
“captures
giant robot
anime at its
soaring,
smashing,
brilliantly
explosive
best,” and
it’s one of
the few
series rated
“Excellent”
by the
readers of
Anime News
Network. The
first DVD
volume of
Gurren
Lagann won’t
hit stores
until
February 26,
but fans can
watch the
first
episode
today at
www.theanimenetworkonline.com.
“We know
there’s a
demand for
fresh,
unreleased
anime on the
Internet,”
said ADV
President
and CEO John
Ledford.
“Through
Anime
Network’s
First Look
broadcasts,
we can
engage fans
in a lawful
way and at
the same
time help
build the
audience for
our DVD
releases.
Everybody
wins.”
Anime
Network’s
streaming
content is
free and
requires
only the
Flash 9
player and
Java Script
to view. As
some of the
programming
is rated
TV-MA,
however,
content is
restricted
to viewers
18 and
older. At
this time
Anime
Network’s
Internet
offerings
are
restricted
to the US
and Canada.
About Anime
Network
Anime
Network, a
subsidiary
of A.D.
Vision Inc.
(parent
company to
ADV Films
and Newtype
USA), is
America’s #1
Anime
Channel,
reaching
more than 40
million
households
with
thousands of
hours of
exciting,
eye-catching
serialized
programming.
Launched in
North
America in
late 2002,
Anime
Network is
the nation’s
top
video-on-demand
(VOD)
offering,
and is also
available as
a 24/7
linear
channel in
several U.S.
markets. The
network
continues to
broaden its
national
roster of
multi-system
operator (MSO)
agreements,
bringing the
elusive
18–34,
tech-savvy
male
demographic
back to
television
and driving
demand for
additional
digital
services
offered by
MSOs. For
more
information,
visit
www.theanimenetwork.com.