They could buy a video or eventually a DVD, or wait for the broadcasting choices of television networks. Given that TV series tended to be geared more toward the young Saturday morning cartoon group, and buying DVDs on a large scale was expensive, there weren't many ways to watch anime free until online streaming was developed.
While the distribution companies wanted to retain their rights, they also began recognizing the value of allowing downloads of anime episodes one at a time. They created a compromise for their fans, realizing that not everyone could buy the DVD of every series that came out.
Several distributors started putting entire series online on newly created video portals, so fans could watch free anime. Yet the fans could also download and own better quality versions for a price. This not only brought visitors flocking to the companies' websites, but served as advertising and, ultimately, incentive for more purchases.
As social networking sites became prevalent, distributors also discovered that these, too, created new ways to provide anime episodes to fans. Several companies, like FUNimation Entertainment in the U.S. or GDH/Gonzo in Japan, created their own branded YouTube channels.
People could watch free anime there, and be linked to the distributor website where they could buy individual episodes or whole series. Between this sort of purchase and the buying of episodes to download even to a cell phone, distributors have found new ways to profit, while giving their fans many different options.
To read more Better Options To View Anime Episodes
