diff --git a/packages/compiler-cli/test/compliance/r3_view_compiler_styling_spec.ts b/packages/compiler-cli/test/compliance/r3_view_compiler_styling_spec.ts
index d42697b8ae..f7a79c3c02 100644
--- a/packages/compiler-cli/test/compliance/r3_view_compiler_styling_spec.ts
+++ b/packages/compiler-cli/test/compliance/r3_view_compiler_styling_spec.ts
@@ -133,7 +133,9 @@ describe('compiler compliance: styling', () => {
           vars: 0,
           template:  function MyComponent_Template(rf, $ctx$) {
           },
-          animations: [{name: 'foo123'}, {name: 'trigger123'}]
+          data: {
+            animations: [{name: 'foo123'}, {name: 'trigger123'}]
+          }
         });
       `;
 
@@ -173,7 +175,9 @@ describe('compiler compliance: styling', () => {
           vars: 0,
           template:  function MyComponent_Template(rf, $ctx$) {
           },
-          animations: []
+          data: {
+            animations: []
+          }
         });
       `;
 
diff --git a/packages/compiler/src/render3/view/compiler.ts b/packages/compiler/src/render3/view/compiler.ts
index a4cc3f4761..6595a7c70e 100644
--- a/packages/compiler/src/render3/view/compiler.ts
+++ b/packages/compiler/src/render3/view/compiler.ts
@@ -245,7 +245,8 @@ export function compileComponentFromMetadata(
 
   // e.g. `animations: [trigger('123', [])]`
   if (meta.animations !== null) {
-    definitionMap.set('animations', meta.animations);
+    definitionMap.set(
+        'data', o.literalMap([{key: 'animations', value: meta.animations, quoted: false}]));
   }
 
   // On the type side, remove newlines from the selector as it will need to fit into a TypeScript
diff --git a/packages/core/src/render3/definition.ts b/packages/core/src/render3/definition.ts
index 7513155d19..8615645e0c 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/render3/definition.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/render3/definition.ts
@@ -263,11 +263,6 @@ export function defineComponent<T>(componentDefinition: {
    * `PipeDefs`s. The function is necessary to be able to support forward declarations.
    */
   pipes?: PipeTypesOrFactory | null;
-
-  /**
-   * Registry of the animation triggers present on the component that will be used by the view.
-   */
-  animations?: any[] | null;
 }): never {
   const type = componentDefinition.type;
   const pipeTypes = componentDefinition.pipes !;
@@ -275,11 +270,7 @@ export function defineComponent<T>(componentDefinition: {
   const declaredInputs: {[key: string]: string} = {} as any;
   const encapsulation = componentDefinition.encapsulation || ViewEncapsulation.Emulated;
   const styles: string[] = componentDefinition.styles || EMPTY_ARRAY;
-  const animations: any[]|null = componentDefinition.animations || null;
-  let data = componentDefinition.data || {};
-  if (animations) {
-    data.animations = animations;
-  }
+  const data = componentDefinition.data || {};
   const def: ComponentDef<any> = {
     type: type,
     diPublic: null,
diff --git a/packages/core/test/render3/integration_spec.ts b/packages/core/test/render3/integration_spec.ts
index 12ceb15b41..1f17564e53 100644
--- a/packages/core/test/render3/integration_spec.ts
+++ b/packages/core/test/render3/integration_spec.ts
@@ -1605,10 +1605,12 @@ describe('render3 integration test', () => {
           type: AnimComp,
           consts: 0,
           vars: 0,
-          animations: [
-            animA,
-            animB,
-          ],
+          data: {
+            animations: [
+              animA,
+              animB,
+            ],
+          },
           selectors: [['foo']],
           factory: () => new AnimComp(),
           template: (rf: RenderFlags, ctx: AnimComp) => {}
@@ -1630,7 +1632,9 @@ describe('render3 integration test', () => {
           type: AnimComp,
           consts: 0,
           vars: 0,
-          animations: [],
+          data: {
+            animations: [],
+          },
           selectors: [['foo']],
           factory: () => new AnimComp(),
           template: (rf: RenderFlags, ctx: AnimComp) => {}