I can only theorize that they are trying to go the route of crunchyroll when it comes to anime by providing official competition to thriving online reading manga sites such as onemanga and mangafox. 

With that in mind, does this mean this will again only benefit the North American audience?

While I fully understand that everyone needs to make money, much of me is still offended at the "official" streaming sites that restrict content to a certain region, like the rest of the world doesn't matter.  And in so doing, they are at the same time preventing (via c&d letters and the like) people from fansubbing because there is an "official" version already available to the public. 

Am I the only one who feels alienated by these decisions companies make nowadays?