The popular anime streaming platform, HIDIVEhas announced its withdrawal from the territory of Latin America as of December 31, 2023. The news was communicated to users via an email that covered several other territories where the platform will cease operations.
The HIDIVE team justified this decision, noting that it was based on an assessment of demand in various areas of operation. In the statement, they expressed their apologies for any inconvenience this may cause to their users.
However, this announcement has not surprised many in the region, as HIDIVE has faced criticism in Latin America for considering the market as of minor importance. The platform gained notoriety for broadcasting anime premieres with English subtitles, thus prioritizing the American audience. The lack of simultaneous releases in Latin Spanish led fans to look for other options, including piracy services.
Furthermore, HIDIVE never significantly addressed the production of dubbing into Latin Spanish, limiting its catalog compared to the offering in the United States. This lack of attention to local preferences has contributed to the perception that the platform was not committed to the Latin American audience.
Given the news of HIDIVE’s departure, many fans are celebrating the possibility of the platform’s licenses moving to more established services in the region, such as Crunchyroll or even Netflix. The uncertainty about the fate of these licenses has generated expectation among fans, who are eagerly waiting to know the future of their favorite series in the changing landscape of anime streaming in Latin America.
These HIDIVE exclusive licenses include, but are not limited to: The Eminence in Shadow; HELCK; Dark Gathering; The Dreaming Boy is a Realist (Yumemiru Danshi wa Genjitsushugisha); Spy Room (Spy Kyoushitsu); Oshi no Ko; The Dangers in My Heart (Boku no Kokoro no Yabai Yatsu); Insomniacs After School (Kimi wa Houkago Insomnia); Edomae Elf; among many others.
Fountain: @KaroshiMyriad on Twitter
