Global demand for anime is surging on all fronts. European buyers made 2,755 Japanese anime titles available in 2023—a 42% increase over 2019—according to Ampere Analysis. And between 2020 to 2024, audiences in France, India, South Africa and the UK enjoyed significantly more anime, making the genre a regular part of their mainstream entertainment diets.
But to succeed in this fast-growing market, producers need to know where to do business—it’s about knowing who’s buying, what they want, and how to reach them. And with that in mind, Kidscreen has assembled its first-ever Anime Buyers Guide.
This global directory includes buyer contacts, recent acquisitions, target demos and platform insights from industry leaders, but also regional players and rising FAST channels. It’s a comprehensive roadmap designed to help producers and distributors navigate the anime boom and close their next deal.
ABC AUSTRALIA
Buyer contact: Maria-Nicole Miriklis, acquisitions manager—miriklis.maria-nicole@abc.net.au
Target demo: Seven to 12 and family co-viewing
Acquisitions/commissions: Dragon Ball Super, Pokémon: Diamond and Pearl
Responding to growing demand among local audiences, anime features prominently in this free-to-air public broadcaster’s curated content offering for school-aged kids and their families. “We know that there is a huge audience for anime in Australia, and we understand that our role is to introduce our young audience to the genre, among a variety of content that serves their interests and curiosity,” says Miriklis. The ABC is looking for classic anime titles that offer broad, multigenerational appeal and that can serve as entry points to anime storytelling for younger viewers, particularly titles with emotional resonance, cultural relevance and wide demographic reach.
ADN (ANIMATION DIGITAL NETWORK)
Buyer contacts: Kim-Ngan Damasse, marketing and content director—kimngan.damasse@animedigitalnetwork.fr; Julien Lemoine, general manager—julien.lemoine@animedigitalnetwork.fr
Target demo: 12 to 25
Acquisitions/commissions: DanDaDan, Naruto, Dragon Ball Z
Animation Digital Network (ADN) is a French VOD service and one of Europe’s leading platforms for animated content. It launched in 2013 and now offers more than 15,000 episodes from 450 series, including Japanese anime, but also a wide range of animated films, short-form titles and kid-friendly series. ADN offers near-simulcast viewing, with many series episodes available one hour after (H+1) their Japanese broadcast, in both original and dubbed formats. Available in French with English subtitles, the service supports co-productions to help create new original series. ADN aims to serve a wide range of viewers, from seasoned anime fans to younger audiences discovering the genre for the first time. The platform offers both a free, limited-access version and a full subscription service.
AMAZON KIDS+
Buyer contact: Josh Mandel, senior executive, development and production—jomandel@amazon.com
Target demo: Preschool and kids ages three to 12
Acquisitions/commissions: Super Spy Ryan
Amazon Kids+ is a subscription-based streaming platform offering thousands of ad-free books, games, videos and apps. While its anime catalog is limited, the service has dabbled in anime-inspired originals and remains open to new titles that align with its safe and child-friendly content focus.
ANIMAX
Buyer contact: Timothy Teo, manager of programming and acquisitions—timothy.teo@kcglobalmedia.com
Target demo: Teens and adults
Acquisitions/commissions: Gintama, Naruto, Fruits Basket, Haikyu!!, Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation
Animax is Asia’s leading destination for Japanese anime, broadcasting in more than 84.8 million homes across 14 territories. It offers a wide variety of anime genres—action, romance, horror, supernatural, sci-fi, comedy and slice-of-life—with many titles simulcast with Japan. Aimed at core anime fans, the channel is home to some of the most recognized titles in the anime canon and continues to seek premium content—including action, sci-fi and fantasy—that resonates with older viewers and genre enthusiasts across the region.
CRUNCHYROLL
Buyer contact: Chiho Mori, director of global acquisitions—chiho.mori@crunchyroll.com or businessinquiries@crunchyroll.com
Target demo: Primarily adults, with additional content for older tweens/tweens (14-plus). Crunchyroll also offers a small selection of family-friendly titles.
Acquisitions/commissions: Nyaight of the Living Cat, Dr. Stone: Science Future (TMS Entertainment), Kaiju No. 8 season two (Production I.G)
Crunchyroll is the market’s leading global anime streamer, with more than 17 million subscribers and a mission to make anime a bigger part of pop culture worldwide. It offers the largest dedicated anime library—with more than 25,000 hours and 50,000 episodes, spanning series, films, music videos and live events. Each anime season, Crunchyroll debuts 50 to 60 new series, many of them simulcast with Japan. The platform also extends its reach through theatrical releases, events, games, news and merchandise. Anime is accessible across all major platforms—from mobile and gaming consoles, to smart TVs and desktops—making Crunchyroll a key destination for fans around the world.
DISNEY BRANDED TELEVISION (DISNEY+)
Buyer contact: Rick Clodfelter, executive director, content acquisition & networks—rick.k.clodfelter@disney.com
Target demo: Kids ages six to 11
Acquisitions/commissions: Beyblade X season 2 (for Disney XD, DisneyNOW, US linear, YouTube US and global SVOD via Hulu/Disney+), Yu-Gi-Oh! GO RUSH!!! (for Disney XD, Hulu and YouTube US)
Disney Branded Television develops and acquires content for Disney+, Disney Channel, Disney XD and Disney Jr.—serving kids, tweens, teens and families. The team sees anime as “a deeply cherished art form” and selects titles that foster joyful, lasting connections between audiences and characters, says Clodfelter. Anime acquisitions Beyblade X and Yu-Gi-Oh! GO RUSH!!! are natural additions to DBTV’s mission of telling imaginative, aspirational stories that reflect kids’ real-world experiences, he adds. Anime titles are evaluated on a case-by-case basis—for fit and opportunity, rather than simply meeting volume quotas.
EBS
Buyer contact: Mia Kwon, acquisitions executive, kids & scripted—hmkwon@ebs.co.kr
Target demo: Kids and older tweens/teens
Acquisitions/commissions: My Daughter is a Zombie, Semi and the Magic Cube
As South Korea’s public broadcaster, EBS is focused on children’s and educational content. It operates platforms including EBS Kids (preschool and early childhood) and EBS 1, which features both kids programming and family-focused educational fare. Its anime catalogue includes titles like PotenDogs, alongside international favorites such as Oddbods and Peppa Pig. EBS commissions and acquires both live-action and animated content, with anime playing an increasing role in its youth programming mix.
HAPPYKIDS
Buyer contact: David Di Lorenzo, SVP of acquisitions—david@futuretodayinc.com
Target demo: Eight to 12
Pickups/commissions: Pokémon the Series: XY, Bakugan, Yu-Gi-Oh!
This free ad-supported streaming service operated by Future Today has been steadily expanding its anime offering to serve its tween audience. In a major move, HappyKids recently acquired more than 140 hours of Pokémon content. The platform looks for programming “that is both fun and engaging for this demo”—especially titles that deliver themes of adventure, friendship and self-discovery, says Di Lorenzo. The service is trusted by more than six million parents and widely accessible across connected TVs and mobile devices.
Pokémon
HIDIVE
Buyer contact info: Toru Iwakami, acquisitions—sentai.tokyo@amcnetworks.com
Target demo: Primarily 14-plus
Acquisitions/commissions: Bureaucrat to Villainess: Dad’s Been Reincarnated!, Flower and Asura, Loner Life in Another World, Insomniacs After School Acquisition volume on this American anime streamer varies from season to season, depending on production output from Japanese studios. But it has been known to debut as many as 16 first-run titles each year. The broadcast release window for acquired titles typically ranges from one to 24 months. HIDIVE also offers a Family and Kids category made up of mostly older catalogue titles.
HULU
Buyer contact: Andrew Thomas, VP of content partnerships—andrew.e.thomas@disney.com
Target demo: Ages seven-plus, with a focus on tween/teen viewers for much of its anime lineup.
Pickups/commissions: Yu-Gi-Oh!, Digimon, Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon, Bananya
Part of Disney Entertainment, Hulu is a US-based SVOD platform offering a mix of acquired and original content. Available both as a standalone service and bundled with Disney+, Hulu had close to 55 million American subscribers as of June 2025. Its anime library spans kid-friendly franchises and tween/teen hits alike, with titles such as One Piece, Naruto Shippuden and DanDaDan rounding out a catalog that continues to grow in alignment with the rising demand for anime across age groups.
KIDOODLE.TV
Buyer contact: Brenda Bisner, chief content officer—content@kidoodle.tv
Target demo: Up to 12
Acquisitions/commissions: Chaotic, Yu-Gi-Oh!, Bakugan
Kidoodle.TV is expanding its anime library with content designed specifically for kids up to age 12, aligning with its brand mission to provide safe, curated entertainment that parents can trust. Anime’s kawaii aesthetic—playful, colorful and emotionally engaging—makes it a natural fit for the platform, notes Bisner. Kidoodle.TV is responding to global anime momentum and broader trends in Japanese and Asian pop culture, including the viral rise of collectible characters like Labubu. The company sees anime not only as high-engagement storytelling, but also as a driver of character affinity, cultural relevance and merchandising potential. By curating titles that embody these qualities, Kidoodle.TV is building a cross-media ecosystem for young audiences that blends storytelling with strong emotional and brand attachment. The company is actively seeking AVOD and FAST rights for titles that meet its age-appropriate standards.
MANGAS
Buyer contact: Louis Berbain, animation/fiction acquisitions officer—lberbain@mediawan.com
Target demo: Tweens/teens and anime fans; some younger content
Acquisitions/commissions: Demon Slayer, Dragon Ball Z, The Mysterious Cities of Gold
Mangas is a Mediawan-owned French pay-TV channel that broadcasts anime exclusively. Known as the “100% Japanime” channel, Mangas offers simulcasts of new series in French with English subtitles, as well as uncensored and remastered versions of cult classics. Widely available in France via major carriers including Canal+ and Prime Video Channels, Mangas continues to be a go-to destination for dedicated anime fans across the region.
MYVIDEO
Buyer contact: Peggy Shaw, director of video business—peggyshaw@taiwanmobile.com
Target demo: Mixed-age audience, with titles targeting kids, teens and adults
Acquisitions/commissions: Naruto, Demon Slayer, Detective Conan, One Piece
MyVideo is a subscription-based streaming platform run by Taiwan Mobile, boasting a catalogue of more than 10,000 movie and TV titles. Its anime offering includes both new and legacy series and films for all a variety of age demos. As of Q2 2025, MyVideo had more than 1,000 anime titles, making it one of the largest anime platforms in Taiwan—a country where streamer-based anime consumption is high, according to Ampere. Beyond anime, MyVideo has deals in place with major kids content suppliers including Moonbug (Cocomelon), Nickelodeon (PAW Patrol) and BBC Studios (Bluey).
NETFLIX
Buyer contact: Yuji Yamano, director of content, Netflix Japan—yyamano@netflix.com
Target demo: All ages, including kids
Pickups/commissions: My Melody & Kuromi, Pokémon Horizons: The Series, Yu-Gi-Oh!, Naruto, Delicious in Dungeon, The Summer Hikaru Died, One Piece
With upwards of 300 million paid subscribers in 190-plus countries, Netflix continues to deepen its investment in anime. The platform reports that more than 50% of its global members watch anime, and in 2024, anime titles were streamed more than a billion times. The genre’s momentum is strong, especially among global audiences, 80% to 90% of which prefer dubbed versions to subtitled ones. In the first half of 2025, eight anime titles made it onto Netflix’s Global Top 10 (Non-English) list, including The Apothecary Diaries and My Happy Marriage. Netflix is also building out its anime movie slate. In 2022, it forged a multi-film partnership with Studio Colorido (producer of A Whisker Away) that resulted in kid-friendly features such as Drifting Home and My Oni Girl. “The next generation of anime fandom is already here. More and more of the titles you love are available on Netflix,” the company said in July 2025. “And with the support of visionary local creators and passionate fans, we’re just getting started.”
Yu-Gi-Oh!
NHK
Buyer contact: Kazuhiro Iwami, producer & animation acquisitions—iwami-ka@nhk-ep.co.jp
Target demo: Preschoolers and their parents
Acquisitions/commissions: Little Charo, Oni: Thunder God’s Tale
NHK, Japan’s national public broadcaster, produces and airs a wide slate of children’s, educational and general entertainment content, including animation. It operates six TV channels, among them Educational TV, which is primarily targeted at children. And distribution arm NHK Enterprises manages the broadcaster’s anime catalogue for international sales and licensing. NHK’s current library includes Dog Signal, Welcome to Demon School!, Pikaia!! and Nanami-chan, and it typically commissions or acquires four series and four animated specials or one-off films annually. The focus is on meaningful, age-appropriate storytelling with strong educational and cultural value for young viewers and their families.
PLUTO TV
Buyer contact: Avni Amin, VP of content partnerships—avni.amin@pluto.tv
Target demo: Kids, teens and adults
Acquisitions/commissions: One Piece (France), Dragon Ball Z (Spain), Naruto (LatAm), Sailor Moon (Canada)
Pluto TV is a leading FAST service offering thousands of hit movies and TV shows on demand, along with hundreds of live-streamed channels covering all kinds of genres—from anime and kids, to news, sports and reality. The platform has expanded its anime programming internationally, with regional offerings across Europe and the Americas. In the company’s own words, “Pluto TV proudly streams content for our superfans, and we know there are a lot of anime aficionados out there!” Pluto TV typically looks to license 100 to 200 hours of anime per channel, though smaller volumes may be considered on a case-by-case basis.
SBT (SISTEMA BRASILIERO DE TELEVISAO)
Buyer contact: Goyo Garcia, content acquisitions & sales manager—goyogarcia@sbt.com.br
Target demo: Preschoolers to tweens/teens
Acquisitions/commissions: Beyblade X, Saint Seiya: The Lost Canvas, Kamisama Kiss, My Deer Friend Nokotan, Brave 10
SBT is one of Brazil’s largest and most popular commercial TV networks, with a legacy of airing kids content for more than 40 years. (In fact, it’s currently the only free-to-air commercial channel in Brazil running children’s programming on a regular schedule, with weekday morning blocks and a five-hour window on Saturday mornings.) For free-to-air, SBT wants non-violent animated content for preschoolers to tweens, including action, adventure and family-safe stories. For its +sbt streaming platform (AVOD/FAST), the age range extends up to include teens, but all content must remain suitable for family viewing and must also be fully dubbed in Brazilian Portuguese.
SONY YAY!
Buyer contact: Ronojoy Chakraborty, head of programming—ronojoy.chakraborty@setindia.com
Target demo: 12 to 18 for anime
Acquisitions/commissions: Naruto Shippuden, Jujutsu Kaisen, Dr. Stone
Sony YAY! is an Indian pay-TV channel primarily targeting kids ages two to 14, but it’s actively expanding into tween/teen-skewing anime to evolve into a multi-generational entertainment brand. The network broadcasts a mix of Hindi-language cartoons, international animated series and anime titles, with dubs available in Hindi, Tamil and Malayalam. Naruto Shippuden—the channel’s flagship anime pickup—has been watched by more than five million viewers since its March 2024 debut. Sony YAY! became the first master licensee for Naruto in India and has since added Jujutsu Kaisen (produced by MAPPA) as part of its continued push to meet the rising demand for anime among Indian youth audiences. It typically acquires five to six series a year, averaging 52 episodes per title.
SPACETOON
Buyer contact: Kamel Weiss, director of strategy, business development and content—content-team@spacetoongroup.com
Target demo: Seven to 15
Acquisitions/commissions: Naruto, Beyblade X, Doraemon, Ramen Akaneko
Founded in 2000, Spacetoon is a leading pan-Arab broadcaster, distributor and producer of children’s content. Its programming reaches audiences across the MENA region, and in 2025, the company expanded by launching a new channel in Turkey. Spacetoon operates Spacetoon Go, a dedicated streaming platform, and its YouTube channel has more than 12 million subscribers. The company also produces theatrical films, live events and manages a robust licensing & merchandising business. In addition to content acquisition, Spacetoon positions itself as a regional partner for brands seeking to connect with young audiences across the Middle East and beyond.
STAN
Buyer contact: Les Sampson, head of acquisitions—les.sampson@stan.com.au
Target demo: Family-friendly anime for kids
Acquisitions/commissions: Pokémon: Sun & Moon—Ultra Adventures, Pokémon The Movie: I Choose You!
Stan is a leading Australian SVOD platform, owned by media company Nine, and available on all major connected devices. Its content library includes thousands of hours of kids programming and family entertainment. Best-known for streaming series like Thomas and Friends, PAW Patrol and Paddington, Stan is steadily expanding its anime library, from three titles in Q4 2020 to 11 in Q2 2025, according to Ampere.
TUBI
Buyer contact: Sam Harowitz, SVP of content acquisitions and partnerships—sharowitz@tubi.tv
Target demo: Kids, tweens/teens and older anime fans
Pickups/commissions: Yu-Gi-Oh!, Naruto, Sonic X
Tubi is a free ad-supported streaming service with more than 100 million monthly active users and a catalogue of nearly 300,000 movies and TV episodes. Its anime offering includes kids content (Yu-Gi-Oh!, Naruto and Sonic X), as well as YA and adult titles like Death Note and Ghost Stories. Tubi significantly expanded this catalogue in 2021 through a content partnership with Shout! Factory. Anime remains a high-performing category for the service, which has “a significant audience of anime lovers,” says chief content officer Adam Lewinson.
TENCENT VIDEO
Buyer contact: Qing Fan, content investment & co-productions—animation@tencent.com
Target demo: Kids ages seven-plus, tweens, teens and young adults
Acquisitions/commissions: Blades of the Guardians, Ling Long Mountain, The Chosen One
Tencent Video is China’s leading streaming platform, with 117 million subscribers as of Q1 2025. It has become the country’s top destination for animation targeting viewers ages 10 and up, adding 56 original animated titles in 2023 alone. Tencent originally launched as a domestic SVOD service in 2011, but it has since grown into China’s largest digital content provider. The company has made a long-term commitment to anime and animation, and is actively seeking global co-production partners to expand the international reach of these IPs. The platform also has strong traction with original series adapted from popular video games and hit web novels.
TF1/TFOU
Buyer contact: Daphné de Beauffort , EVP of animation & anime acquisitions – ddebeauffort@tf1.fr
Target demo: Four to 10 (TFOU programming block), three to 12 (TFOU Max streaming service)
Acquisitions/commissions: Naruto, One Piece, Miraculous Chibi, Hunter x Hunter
One of France’s largest broadcasters, TF1 has integrated anime into several of its kids platforms, including streamer TF1+ and the linear programming block TFOU. It also operates TFOU Max, a standalone kid-focused streamer. TF1 was an early backer of Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir, and it will premiere original short-form series Miraculous Chibi (52 x three minutes) in 2026. It was also the first broadcaster to support Artefacts: Thieves of Thieves, an anime-inspired 2D animated series from Somewhere Animation. Anime and anime-style titles are an increasingly important part of TF1’s youth content strategy.
YOUKU KIDS (ALIBABA)
Buyer contact: Yan Wang, international content acquisitions—yixiao.wy@alibaba-inc.com
Target demo: Older tweens and teens
Acquisitions/commissions: The Demon Hunter, Eclipse of Illusion
Youku Kids, a division of Alibaba’s streaming platform Youku, offers a range of anime content, with a focus on martial arts and action-themed titles geared to older tweens, teens and young adults. Its core kids programming library caters to viewers up to age 12, featuring songs, educational programming and animation including international hits such as SpongeBob SquarePants and Peppa Pig. With a growing emphasis on Japanese and Chinese anime, the platform continues to position itself as a destination for high-quality children’s and youth entertainment in China.
This story originally appeared in Kidscreen‘s Q4 2025 magazine issue.
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