A new financial report revealed by the anime corner of IG Port , the parent company of studios Production IG ( Kaiju No. 8 ) and WIT Studio ( Attack on Titan S1–3), revealed that Netflix paid 3.573 billion yen (US$24.3 million) during the fiscal year ending in May 2025.
Kimi ni Todoke 3 was the highlight of the deal
Of this total, 1.53 billion yen (US$10.4 million) came from Netflix Global , recorded in the copyright segment. This includes the broadcast license for Kimi ni Todoke Season 3 , produced by Production IG, which was paid in a single installment. This contract alone represented almost 40% of Production IG's copyright sales during the period.
Meanwhile, Netflix Studios LLC spent 2.04 billion yen (US$13.9 million) on "video production" services. This move reinforces the platform's importance as one of the largest international anime financiers, even without being part of traditional production committees.
Netflix's role in the production model
Unlike Crunchyroll or HIDIVE , which participate in committees and share risks and profits, Netflix tends to be more direct and closed in its contracts. In some cases, it only licenses distribution; in others, it acquires all copyrights, as it did with recent productions ( Rising Impact , Moonrise , and Leviathan ).
This practice generates debate within the industry: while studios receive higher immediate fees, they lose control over intellectual property and are unable to exploit merchandising, DVDs, or other products for a long time.
Impacts for studios and animators
Experts like director Terumi Nishii have warned that, despite Netflix's budgets being up to double the average, the money doesn't reach animators, especially freelancers, in proportion. In many cases, the funds cover studio deficits without improving working conditions.
Still, for companies like IG Port , dependence on contracts with global streaming services has become strategic. Besides Netflix, the company's second-largest partner this year was Toho , with 1.05 billion yen (US$7.1 million).
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Source: IG Port (Investor Relations) , Gamebiz
