Technologies

Crunchyroll Kills Free Plan: What Anime Fans Should Know About the Switch

The ad-supported option disappears Dec. 31, meaning you’ll need a paid plan to keep watching.

Anime streaming service Crunchyroll, which offers shows such as My Hero Academia and One Piece, announced on Tuesday that it will shut down its ad-supported tier on Dec. 31. Viewers will now have to pay for a subscription if they want to keep streaming shows.

For years, Crunchyroll offered a rotating catalog of episodes, mostly older seasons and select shows, available for free with ads. But recent in-service messages alerted viewers that «Ad-supported streaming ends December 31, 2025.» After that date, anyone wishing to access the service will need a paid plan.

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The existing subscription tiers remain unchanged. The entry-level Fan plan starts at $8 per month, while the Mega Fan ($12) and Ultimate Fan ($16) options add perks such as HD streaming, offline downloads and multi-device support.

The Crunchyroll free option had already been shrinking. Simulcasts and new episodes were removed from the free library as early as 2022, leaving only a minimal selection of titles, which has made some viewers unhappy. For many casual viewers or newcomers, the loss of the free viewing tier removes a low-barrier entry point that helped introduce them to anime.

If you still want to watch anime without paying, several other services continue to offer free, ad-supported streaming:

Tubi: A large selection of classic and older anime series and movies, all free with ads.
Pluto TV: Multiple 24/7 anime channels plus some on-demand titles.
RetroCrush: Specializes in classic and vintage anime; free with ads.
YouTube: Some studios (like Toei Animation and Gundam’s official channel) release episodes and whole series legally.

Selection varies, and none offer the same breadth of simulcasts and new releases that Crunchyroll provides, but for viewers who aren’t ready to subscribe, these platforms still offer ways to watch anime for free.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for Dec. 11, #444

Here are hints and the answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for Dec. 11, No. 444.

Looking for the most recent regular Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle and Strands puzzles.

Today’s Connections: Sports Edition is a tough one. If you’re struggling with today’s puzzle but still want to solve it, read on for hints and the answers.

Connections: Sports Edition is published by The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by The Times. It doesn’t appear in the NYT Games app, but it does in The Athletic’s own app. Or you can play it for free online.

Read more: NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle Comes Out of Beta

Hints for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Put on your skates.

Green group hint: Get your racket.

Blue group hint: Dribble the ball.

Purple group hint: Kids love to do this.

Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Yellow group: Found at a hockey rink.

Green group: Last four men to win a tennis Grand Slam.

Blue group: Current women’s college basketball stars.

Purple group: ____ play.

Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words

What are today’s Connections: Sports Edition answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is found at a hockey rink. The four answers are bench, boards, glass and penalty box.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is the last four men to win a tennis Grand Slam. The four answers are Alcaraz, Djokovic, Nadal and Sinner.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is current women’s college basketball stars. The four answers are Betts, Booker, Crooks and Strong.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is ____ play. The four answers are bang-bang, power, trick and triple.

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Toughest Connections: Sports Edition categories

The Connections: Sports Edition puzzle can be tough, but it really depends on which sports you know the most about. My husband aces anything having to do with Formula 1, my best friend is a hockey buff, and I can answer any question about Minnesota teams.

That said, it’s hard to pick the toughest Connections categories, but here are some I found exceptionally mind-blowing recently.

#1: Series A Clubs, Jan. 11. Answers: Atalanta, Juventus, Lazio, Roma.

#2: WNBA MVPs, Jan. 21. Answers: Catchings, Delle Donne, Fowles and Stewart.

#3: Premier League team nicknames, Jan. 17. Answers: Bees, Cherries, Foxes and Hammers.

#4: Homophones of NBA player names, Jan. 26. Answers: Barns, Connect, Heart and Hero.

Technologies

Today’s Wordle Hints, Answer and Help for Dec. 11, #1636

Here are hints and the answer for today’s Wordle for Dec. 11, No. 1,636.

Looking for the most recent Wordle answer? Click here for today’s Wordle hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles.

Today’s Wordle puzzle is a little tricky, with a double letter, to boot. If you need a new starter word, check out our list of which letters show up the most in English words. If you need hints and the answer, read on.

Today’s Wordle hints

Before we show you today’s Wordle answer, we’ll give you some hints. If you don’t want a spoiler, look away now.

Wordle hint No. 1: Repeats

Today’s Wordle answer has one repeated letter.

Wordle hint No. 2: Vowels

Today’s Wordle answer has two vowels.

Wordle hint No. 3: First letter

Today’s Wordle answer begins with G.

Wordle hint No. 4: Last letter

Today’s Wordle answer ends with S.

Wordle hint No. 5: Meaning

Today’s Wordle answer can mean to estimate or to suppose something.

TODAY’S WORDLE ANSWER

Today’s Wordle answer is GUESS.

Yesterday’s Wordle answer

Yesterday’s Wordle answer, Dec. 10, No. 1635 was ERASE.

Recent Wordle answers

Dec. 6, No. 1631: WAIST

Dec. 7, No. 1632: FLUTE

Dec. 8, No. 1633: GRAVY

Dec. 9, No. 1634: SNIDE

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Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Thursday, Dec. 11

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for Dec. 11.

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Need some help with today’s Mini Crossword? It wasn’t too bad, though 7-Across threw me until I solved some of the Down clues. Read on for the answers. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.