AnimeVision

Crunchyroll's efforts to go legit are gathering pace, with the announcement earlier today of a new deal with Speed Racer Enterprises to bring Speed Racer to the site. The big surprise is the option of a DRM-free download facility, along with "digital boxsets" (think season pass) with added special features. Much as I hate how Crunchyroll got their foot through the door, this is a welcome development. Full press release below the cut.

Crunchyroll and Speed Racer Enterprises Announce Strategic Digital Video Partnership
Iconic animation races onto premiere video streaming and download service San Francisco, CA March 26, 2008 – Crunchyroll, the leading community and destination for Asian video content on the Internet, and Speed Racer Enterprises announced today a strategic digital video partnership to bring the iconic cartoon to audiences around the world through a combination of Crunchyroll's ad-supported, subscription, and download-to-own video services.

“We felt a need to address the very different demographics of fans in different markets across the globe,” said James Rocknowski, president of Speed Racer Enterprises. “By giving fans the options they want, we are able to capture new revenue areas and expand our exposure in emerging market segments.”

Starting today, fans across the globe will be able to able to watch select episodes of the classic Speed Racer, with additional episodes to be rolled out soon. In the download-to-own service, fans will be able to purchase DRM-free individual episodes or digital boxsets, including special digital “goodies” for fans.

“Speed Racer is an iconic piece of our culture,” said Vu Nguyen, co-founder of Crunchyroll. “We are thrilled to be able to offer this series to fans across the globe, new and old.” He added, “We believe that by offering multiple options that cater to different kinds of consumers in different markets, we can maximize the exposure and profit of great series such as Speed Racer.”

SPEED RACER TM & Copyright 2008 Speed Racer Enterprises, Inc. Speed Racer is a trademark of Speed Racer Enterprises, Inc. and is used under license.

About Crunchyroll:
Crunchyroll is the largest online community and destination focused on Asian anime, drama, music, gaming, and car content. Crunchyroll's distribution channel and partnership program helps content providers monetize and deliver content to over four million passionate fans worldwide. Founded in September 2006, the company is headquartered in San Francisco, CA and backed by Venrock. Check it out at http://www.crunchyroll.com.