Anime isn’t just about mechs, ninjas and horse girls. Sports have been a thriving niche in the Japanese animation for decades, some original works and others adaptations of manga (that’s a form of comic/graphic novel in Japan).
Crunchyroll is an anime subscription service in the U.S., eclipsing the 21-million subscriber threshold earlier this year. It carries three soccer-themed shows: “Captain Tsubasa,” which debuted back in 1983 (yet is still younger than me); “Aoashi,” which debuted in 2022; and “Blue Lock,” which also debuted in 2022 (it’s on Netflix, too). Both “Captain Tsubasa” and “Blue Lock” have video games, as does “Inazuma Eleven.”
“Blue Lock” is a bit different than the standard Japanese sports anime. While most focus on characters working together, Blue Lock features a fierce competition (think “Squid Games” but for soccer) to mold one player into the best striker to ever play so they can lead Japan’s World Cup team.
Crunchyroll is using “Blue Lock” as the hook of its World Cup strategy, with a promo spot running during 130 games in France and Germany. It’s also holding events in Paris, Munich and Time Square (where the ad is airing on one of its outdoor screens). It’s targeting France because of the culture’s long appreciation for animation, and both nations have pro players who have shared their love of anime online and populations who watch it.
“Both France and Germany have passionate and growing anime communities, so the opportunity to air Crunchyroll spots during a tentpole moment in pop culture like the World Cup allows us to introduce existing sports fans to the vibrant world of anime,” said Kartik Gandhi, Crunchyroll’s SVP/growth and planning. Other areas of growth: Latin America, especially Brazil and Mexico.
He also notes that with anime fans, older series remain popular as younger audiences discover them or older ones watch them again.
Crunchyroll is also engaging athletes. In April, it worked with Manchester United’s Lisandro Martinez, an Argentine star and “anime superfan” on a selection of apparel items.
World Cup aside, anime is seeing a moment in U.S. sports. More Japanese brands are advertising in MLB thanks to the influx of stars such as Shohei Ohtani and Munetaka Murakami. And Cygames is using the Kentucky Derby and other horse racing events to promote “Umamusume: Pretty Derby,” a mobile game based on the anime of the same name (which is, of course, on Crunchyroll).
