Advanced Television

Saffron, KDDI launch Anime OTT service

July 17, 2014

KDDI, the Japenese mobile network, has strengthened its relationship with Saffron Digital after selecting the OTT provider to design and build Anime Pass, a new specialist multi-platform video service, which offers unlimited anime content.

The new service has been launched in response to the increasing popularity of anime, which is a market worth approximately $1.7 billion in Japan. KDDI has seen huge demand for anime content on its existing Video Pass service, which Saffron Digital has been powering since its launch in 2012.  It sees a significant number of downloads coming from the popular genre each day.

“Anime is such a popular genre in Japan and for the last few years we’ve been seeing such a high demand for it on Video Pass,” said Hidenori Shima, Deputy Director au Smart Pass Business Department, Advanced Business Development Division, Business Development Sector. “After reviewing our Video Pass usage data for the last year and a half, Saffron Digital were instrumental in helping us define our strategy for rolling out a dedicated anime service. Anime services are very popular and there is certainly enough appetite for it. Saffron Digital’s technology and expertise has again enabled us to broaden our subscriber base and open the door to a realm of new profitable applications.”

Saffron Digital is using MainStage, its premium OTT platform, to power the new service which is initially available on iPhone, iPad, Android phones and Android tablets. Saffron Digital designed and developed the subscription service to enable KDDI’s au mobile subscribers to enjoy anime film and TV content wherever they are. This latest entertainment offering from KDDI will give the mobile giant’s subscribers an even broader range of entertainment options.

“KDDI is continually innovating with its entertainment services so it has been great to be involved with Anime Pass from its inception,” said Peter Bellamy, Client Services Director Saffron Digital. “By launching a dedicated anime service, KDDI is adding variety to its entertainment services to differentiate its offering for subscribers. With Anime Pass we have listened to the consumers and worked hard to design and develop a bespoke UX/UI focused on the optimum experience for Anime fans, giving them access to fantastic content across a great range of devices and platform.”

Anime Pass is available via KDDI’s au Smart Pass entertainment package (which has over 10 million subscribers) and offers its customers an even greater opportunity to tailor their smartphone experience to suit their preferences and lifestyles. For a monthly charge of ¥400 ($3.90), the Anime Pass service offers unlimited access to approximately 7,000 episodes from 500 anime programs, and enables subscribers to search for their favourite anime by criteria such as voice actor or genre.

Categories: Articles, OTT, OTT