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Crunchyroll Appoints Julian Lai-Hung as J-APAC Content Strategy Head

Crunchyroll announced on Tuesday that it has brought on Julian Lai-Hung as head of content strategy and business development for the J-APAC (Japan, Asia-Pacific) region. In his new Tokyo-based position, Lai-Hung will oversee content strategy, original projects, and identifying new opportunities with partners.

Lai-Hung previously worked with Netflix to launch its Japan service as director of content for Japan, and was the company's previous global head of anime. He worked as vice president of international digital distribution and global sales at Warner Bros. Lai-Hung is also the founder and CEO of Singapore-based company BlockPunk.

Viz Media Europe SAS recently transitioned into Crunchyroll with the new name Crunchyroll SAS.

Crunchyroll launched in 2007 as a streaming service offering anime titles without authorization, but in 2008 it secured US$4.05 million in its first-round funding from Venrock and began licensing titles for streaming. The Chernin Group acquired a majority stake in Crunchyroll in December 2013. The Chernin Group and AT&T formed the joint venture Otter Media in 2014, and Otter Media invested another US$22 million in Crunchyroll's parent company Ellation in November 2015. AT&T then announced in August 2018 that it has acquired all of Otter Media, and folded it into its WarnerMedia company (after AT&T's acquisition of Time Warner in 2018).

Sources: Variety (Rebecca Davis), Animation Business Journal (Tadashi Sudo)