Neon Alley was an American digital anime service run by Viz Media. The service began as a 24-hour linear web channel dedicated to showing English dubbed anime series in uncut and uncensored formats. It later evolved into a Hulu-based streaming site, showcasing both dubbed and subtitled releases.
Company type | Online stream of anime programming |
---|---|
Genre | Anime |
Founded | October 2, 2012 |
Defunct | May 4, 2016 |
Headquarters | |
Area served | United States |
Parent | Viz Media |
Website | Viz Media |
Neon Alley's programming was streamed through Hulu, which is available on PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC, Mac, and other platforms.
Neon Alley was first announced at San Diego Comic-Con 2012 on July 13, 2012, where it was announced for PlayStation 3 via the PlayStation Network in North America for a monthly subscription fee.[1] The service launched on October 2, 2012.[2] Along with various series such as Naruto and Death Note, the channel premiered newly dubbed series, as well as live-action and anime movies.[3] The service was later made available for Xbox 360 via Xbox Live from February 12, 2013.[4] At Anime Expo 2013, Viz announced that the service would be available on PC and Mac, along with a new feature where subscribers could catch-up on past episodes.[5]
It was announced on February 11, 2014, that Neon Alley would discontinue its web channel format and transition to become a free on-demand service for those living in the United States. Series will be streamed through their website or through Internet connected devices on Hulu: a joint venture between NBCUniversal Television Group, Disney-ABC Television Group and Fox Broadcasting Company.[6][7] The change took effect on April 1, 2014. Following the relaunch, as a direct result of migrating to Hulu, viewers living in Canada lost access to the website.[8][9] After Viz.com was relaunched in Spring 2016, the Neon Alley name was dropped. By that point, its blog and social media accounts haven't been updated since 2015.[10][11][12] On July 21, 2016, Tubi TV announced that they had commenced streaming of certain Viz titles in Canada.[13]
†Indicates titles that have never received an official streaming release in Canada