The year 2026 is just around the corner and the so-called anime "streaming war" seems to have found an undisputed winner, at least for the winter season. As Crunchyroll prepares for a massive rollout, giants like Disney+, Hulu, and Netflix seem to have quietly pulled out of the competition for the start of the year.
The orange platform will enter the Winter 2026 season with a heavy artillery of almost 50 new and recurring titles. It's not just filler; the lineup includes absolute heavyweights such as Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3, the return of Sousou no Frieren with its Season 2, and the highly anticipated Season 3 of Oshi no Ko. It is a total dominance of the market.
In contrast, the situation of the competition is bleak. Disney+ does not have any anime premieres confirmed for January 2026. For its part, Hulu only has Fire Force Season 3 (which is a sublicense of Crunchyroll) and an old Digimon series. Even HIDIVE, the direct competitor in the US, has only confirmed three low-profile simulcasts.
Netflix: A slow start, but an explosive 2026
Netflix will also start the year with the handbrake on, releasing just three titles in January, highlighting Pokémon Horizons. However, his strategy is long-term. The red "N" platform promises to catch up later in the year with a dream catalog that includes One Piece's Elbaf arc in April, plus future bombshells like Dandadan Season 3, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners Season 2, and the much-rumored adaptation of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Steel Ball Run.
