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HIDIVE to Offer Dubs for Simulcast Anime Within 2 Weeks of Premiere

Anime streaming service HIDIVE announced on Friday that it will begin streaming "dubcasts," local-language dubbed versions of select anime simulcasts, within two weeks of the first simulcast episodes. The company will initially focus on English-language versions with the spring 2018 simulcast season. The dubs will be available to subscribers.

The term "dubcast" is a trademark of HIDIVE. Similarly, the term "simuldub" is a trademark of FUNimation Entertainment.

Thus far this season, HIDIVE has announced a simulcast for Alice or Alice. Sentai Filmworks has also licensed Devils' Line for streaming but has not yet confirmed that it will stream on HIDIVE. HIDIVE has not confirmed any specific titles for dubbing.

The HIDIVE streaming service launched last June after acquiring assets previously held by Anime Network Online. The service has primarily streamed titles — including simulcasts and English dubs — that are licensed for home video by Section23 Films and its subsidiary Sentai Filmworks, though it has also added some older titles such as Space Runaway Ideon, Xabungle, and the live-action Lone Wolf and Cub series. Sentai Filmworks president and CEO John Ledford is also the founder and president of HIDIVE.

HIDIVE has since released apps for iOS and Android devices. The service will launch out of beta with a new pricing plan on April 9.