Samsung TV Plus anime distribution and licensing strategy: Crunchyroll FAST channel
Samsung TV Plus does not license anime directly. It distributes anime through partner channels and apps, led by an exclusive Crunchyroll FAST channel.
Published: 2026-08-19. Updated: 2026-08-19.
Short answer: Samsung TV Plus distributes anime through partnerships rather than direct licensing. In October 2025, Crunchyroll launched a 24/7 free ad-supported streaming television channel on Samsung TV Plus featuring curated series such as Yu Yu Hakusho, Assassination Classroom, Black Clover, and To Your Eternity. Samsung TV Plus also carries the Crunchyroll subscription app on Samsung smart TVs released in 2017 or later, expanding the partnership from a linear channel to on-demand access.
How Samsung TV Plus carries anime
Samsung TV Plus is a free ad-supported streaming television service built into Samsung smart TVs. It does not produce or directly license anime content. Instead, it aggregates channels and apps from third-party content partners.
Anime reaches Samsung TV Plus primarily through Crunchyroll. In October 2025, Crunchyroll debuted a dedicated 24/7 channel on Samsung TV Plus, and the Crunchyroll subscription app had already rolled out to newer Samsung smart TVs.
The Crunchyroll FAST channel
On October 29, 2025, Crunchyroll launched a curated, always-on anime channel on Samsung TV Plus. At launch, the channel included Yu Yu Hakusho, Assassination Classroom, Black Clover, and To Your Eternity, with both English-subbed and English-dubbed programming.
Crunchyroll described the launch as part of a strategy to make anime more accessible to casual viewers. The channel also carries full episodes of Crunchyroll's podcast Crunchyroll Presents: The Anime Effect.
Crunchyroll Channel on Samsung TV Plus at launch.| Element | Detail |
|---|
| Launch date | October 29, 2025 |
| Format | 24/7 FAST channel |
| Sample titles at launch | Yu Yu Hakusho, Assassination Classroom, Black Clover, To Your Eternity |
| Audio options | English-subbed and English-dubbed |
| Cost to viewer | Free with ads |
The Crunchyroll app on Samsung smart TVs
Crunchyroll's subscription app became available on Samsung smart TVs released in 2017 or later, starting in the United States and expanding to global markets. The app offers access to Crunchyroll's full on-demand library, which the company described as over 46,000 episodes and movies plus music videos and concert specials.
This gives Samsung TV Plus users two ways to access anime: a free FAST channel for sampling and a paid app for full catalog and simulcasts.
Catalog versus exclusive distinction
Samsung TV Plus does not hold exclusive anime licenses. The Crunchyroll Channel is a curated linear feed of titles that are also available on Crunchyroll's own service and other platforms. The exclusivity is platform-specific for the FAST channel window, not title-specific.
This is a distribution partnership model: Samsung provides the screen and audience, Crunchyroll provides the content and brand.
How Samsung TV Plus fits in the anime ecosystem
Samsung TV Plus sits at the device and aggregation layer rather than the content-licensing layer. Its anime strategy is to make anime easy to discover and watch without leaving the Samsung TV interface.
By offering both a free Crunchyroll FAST channel and a paid Crunchyroll app, Samsung can serve anime-curious viewers and dedicated fans on the same platform.
Frequently asked questions
Does Samsung TV Plus have an anime channel?
Yes, Crunchyroll operates a 24/7 free anime channel on Samsung TV Plus, launched in October 2025.
Can I watch Crunchyroll on Samsung TV Plus?
Samsung smart TVs from 2017 onward support the Crunchyroll app, and Samsung TV Plus includes the free Crunchyroll Channel.
Is the Samsung TV Plus anime channel free?
Yes, the Crunchyroll Channel on Samsung TV Plus is free and ad-supported.
Does Samsung license anime directly?
No. Samsung TV Plus distributes anime through partnerships with Crunchyroll rather than licensing titles directly from Japanese rightsholders.