ABEMA Schedules Free Sports Anime Marathons From September 12

ABEMA is turning September into a free sports-anime catch-up window, beginning with Haikyu!! on September 12 and continuing through early October with six major series.

ABEMA announced the programming package on September 11, 2026, at 6:30 p.m. Japan Standard Time. The lineup brings together Haikyu!!, Major, Kuroko's Basketball, Inazuma Eleven, Hajime no Ippo, and Ace of Diamond for free, scheduled marathon broadcasts. For fans outside Japan, the useful part is the unusually detailed timetable: the first broadcast starts on September 12, while the final block runs into October 10.

What Was Announced

ABEMA describes the campaign as a “sports autumn” program, but it is more than a single weekend feature. Each title has a set of official ABEMA program pages, a named channel, and a stated free catch-up period: episodes remain free for one week after their broadcast. The announcement does not call the streams simulcasts or permanent catalog additions; they are scheduled, time-limited broadcasts.

• Haikyu!!: Season 3, comprising 10 episodes, begins at 5:30 p.m. JST on September 12, with a second broadcast at 11:30 a.m. on September 13. Season 4, with 25 episodes, follows at 3:30 p.m. JST on September 19 and 4:00 a.m. on September 20. Both seasons are assigned to ABEMA Anime 2.
• Major: all six series, totaling 154 episodes, are scheduled from September 14 through September 27. The broadcasts run daily at 11:30 a.m. and 10:30 p.m. JST on ABEMA's 00's Anime channel.
• Kuroko's Basketball: the first three seasons are spread across September 17, September 23–24, and September 26–27. The listed blocks include the relevant OVAs, and the broadcasts use ABEMA Anime 2.
• Inazuma Eleven: the first three series, totaling 127 episodes, run from September 21 through September 27, followed by Inazuma Eleven the Movie 2025 in the late-night block on September 27.
• Hajime no Ippo: the package covers the 76-episode first season, the Champion Road TV special, the Mashiba vs. Kimura OVA, New Challenger, and Rising across September 21–29.
• Ace of Diamond: all four series, totaling 191 episodes, are scheduled from September 27 through October 10, with daily blocks at 4:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. JST on ABEMA's Anime SPECIAL2 channel.

Why It Matters

The announcement creates a clear path into several long-running sports franchises at once. That matters because these shows are often encountered internationally in fragments: a fan may know a later season, a popular character, or a currently circulating clip without having an easy way to follow the full TV run. ABEMA's grouping could make a chronological catch-up possible for viewers who can access the service and plan around the broadcast windows.

The package also shows how a streaming platform can use scheduling, rather than only an on-demand library, to turn catalog titles into an event. The episode totals are substantial: Major, Inazuma Eleven, and Ace of Diamond alone account for 472 episodes before counting OVAs and specials. That scale may encourage shared viewing and discussion, but it also makes the one-week post-broadcast window important. Missing a block could mean waiting for a later repeat or a separate official availability announcement.

Context for International Fans

All times in the announcement are Japan Standard Time. For the first Haikyu!! broadcast at 5:30 p.m. JST on September 12, that is 8:30 a.m. UTC, 9:30 a.m. in the United Kingdom, 4:30 a.m. Eastern, and 1:30 a.m. Pacific on the same date. Later dates shift with local daylight-saving rules, so an international viewer should convert each slot separately rather than rely on a fixed time difference.

There is an important availability limitation: ABEMA's announcement supplies the Japanese schedule and links to individual ABEMA slots, but it does not publish an overseas territory list for this marathon. International fans should therefore treat access outside Japan as not yet confirmed. A slot page may be visible while playback remains region-restricted, and the one-week free period should not be assumed to apply globally. Check the official slot page from your location before making plans, and do not confuse these broadcasts with a new worldwide licensing announcement.

The release also makes no claim that every episode will remain on demand after the catch-up window. For fans who need subtitles, dubbed audio, or a specific regional service, the safest approach is to check the official license and streaming listings for their country separately.

What Happens Next

The immediate checkpoint is the first Haikyu!! Season 3 broadcast at 5:30 p.m. JST on September 12, followed by its listed repeat the next morning. After that, the next milestones are the Major start on September 14, Kuroko's Basketball on September 17, and the larger Inazuma Eleven, Hajime no Ippo, and Ace of Diamond blocks from September 21 onward. ABEMA's official program pages should be rechecked close to each start time because schedules and regional playback conditions can change.

Information was checked on September 12, 2026, at 2:33 a.m. JST.

Sources

• ABEMA's September 11, 2026 announcement — the primary release listing all six titles, episode counts, channels, dates, times, and one-week free catch-up terms.
• Official ABEMA slot page for Haikyu!! Season 3 — the first scheduled program page for the September 12 broadcast.
• Official ABEMA slot page for Major — the first listed slot for the six-series marathon.
• Official ABEMA slot page for Inazuma Eleven — the first listed slot for the three-series block.
• Official ABEMA slot page for Hajime no Ippo — the first listed slot for the boxing-anime marathon.

Editorial note: This report is based on the primary sources linked above. Availability, schedules, and announcements can change; verify the latest details with the official source.