BBC iPlayer Acquires Rights to ONE PIECE English Dub in the UK

BBC iPlayer is set to become the exclusive home of the ONE PIECE anime’s English dub in the United Kingdom. The corporation announced this morning that they have acquired UK rights to over 1,000 episodes of the incredibly popular anime series, which will begin streaming on BBC iPlayer from 1st September.

The BBC have confirmed that the first 206 episodes that make up the East Blue, Alabasta and Skypiea sagas will be available from 1st September, with subsequent episodes through to the end of Wano being made available by the end of the year.

This announcement continues the BBC’s move into acquiring more anime titles for their iPlayer streaming service, following other high profile franchises like Pokémon Horizons and Beyblade X. Fiona Campbell, Controller of Youth Audiences, iPlayer and BBC Three, says: “It’s a really exciting move to bring the One Piece franchise to UK audiences in the coming months. With its captivating storytelling, rich characters and global fanbase, One Piece has become a cultural phenomenon and we’re so excited to see how the fanbase will enjoy this huge canon of episodes available in English only on iPlayer.”

The BBC’s release of ONE PIECE will be the English-dubbed version, which had not previously been available for streaming in the United Kingdom. The Japanese-subtitled version of the anime is currently simulcast by Crunchyroll, with episodes also releasing a week later on Netflix. The series is released on home video (both dubbed and subtitled) by Crunchyroll.

Source: BBC