ABEMA to Live Stream FIA World Rally Championship 'Forum8 Rally Japan 2026' for Free / Special 'Rally Japan Channel' to be Opened for 7 Days, 24 Hours Free Viewing!
ABEMA will live stream the FIA World Rally Championship 'Forum8 Rally Japan 2026' for free, starting May 28, 2026, and will open a limited-time 'Rally Japan Channel' for 24-hour free viewing. This aims to boost excitement for the event, especially with the notable performance of Japanese driver Takamoto Katsuta.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: May 7, 2026 at 21:00
- 🔍 Collected: May 7, 2026 at 12:31
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 7, 2026 at 22:46 (10h 15m after Collected)
ABEMA, the 'new future TV,' announced that it will live stream the world's premier motorsport event, the 'FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) Forum8 Rally Japan 2026,' for free. The event will be held for four days from Thursday, May 28 to Sunday, May 31, 2026, in Aichi and Gifu prefectures. In conjunction with this, a special 'Rally Japan Channel' will be opened for a limited time, offering 24-hour free viewing for seven days from Monday, May 25 to Sunday, May 31, 2026.
The World Rally Championship (WRC) is one of the world championships in motorsport overseen by the FIA (International Automobile Federation). It is the pinnacle of sprint rallying, where cars based on production models compete for section times in 'Special Stages (SS).'
In the 2026 season, Takamoto Katsuta, the sole Japanese driver for TOYOTA GAZOO Racing World Rally Team, achieved a historic first victory for a Japanese driver in 34 years at the 3rd round, 'Safari Rally Kenya.' Furthermore, he secured another victory in the subsequent 4th round, 'Croatia Rally,' achieving the first-ever WRC consecutive wins by a Japanese driver. He even briefly rose to the top of the points standings, a remarkable feat. Although he narrowly missed a third consecutive win in the recent 5th round, 'Rally Islas Canarias,' he currently holds a close second place in the rankings, drawing significant attention from across Japan as he aims for the annual championship title.
'Forum8 Rally Japan 2026,' held in Japan, will take place as the 7th round of the 2026 season, starting on Thursday, May 28. This will be the fifth consecutive year it is held in Aichi and Gifu, with this year's event conceptualized as 'Rally to Experience.' For the first time, an opening ceremony will be held in Nagoya City, and new courses, 'Fujioka Super Special Stage (SSS)' and 'Asuke Special Stage (SS)' in Toyota City, have been added. The competition will be contested over a total of 10 stages, with the winner determined by the cumulative time of all SS, and a ceremonial finish will be held at Toyota Stadium on the final day.
ABEMA will deliver free live broadcasts of the special stages of 'Forum8 Rally Japan 2026,' where fierce competition is expected. Furthermore, the 'Rally Japan Channel,' specially opened for a limited time in conjunction with the event, will offer numerous special programs in addition to live broadcasts, introducing basic rally knowledge and key viewing points. Familiar faces from ABEMA's motorsport broadcasts and luxurious guests representing various fields are also scheduled to appear in on-site reports and studio broadcasts, continuing from last year.
'Forum8 Rally Japan 2026' aims to deliver new appeal under the theme of 'Rally to Experience.' Please enjoy the excitement and speed of the event, which is seeing unprecedented盛り上がり (excitement) due to Takamoto Katsuta's impressive performance, on ABEMA.
■ ABEMA 'Rally Japan Channel' Overview
Distribution Period: Monday, May 25, 2026 - Sunday, May 31, 2026
Official LP: https://abema.tv/lp/rallyjapan-onair
'WRC World Rally Championship 2026' Series Page: https://abema.tv/video/title/16-98
PR Video: https://abema.tv/video/title/16-98_s70_p900
*Broadcast dates, content, and format are subject to change without notice. Please be aware in advance.
*When publishing or using images, please be sure to include the credit: (C) AbemaTV, Inc.
■ About 'World Rally Championship (WRC)' and 'FIA World Rally Championship Forum8 Rally Japan 2026'
The FIA (International Automobile Federation) organized 'World Rally Championship (WRC)' is the world's premier automobile competition series, with over 50 years of history since its establishment in 1973.
It is a sprint-format race where drivers and co-drivers compete one by one for section times on diverse road surfaces such as paved roads (tarmac), unpaved roads (gravel), and snowy roads (snow), with its appeal lying in speed, technique, and strategy.
The 2026 event will be held in the Aichi-Gifu area for the fifth consecutive year. This year's event, under the concept of 'Rally to Experience,' will feature an opening ceremony held for the first time in Nagoya City, as well as new courses such as 'Fujioka Super Special Stage (SSS)' and 'Asuke Special Stage (SS)' in Toyota City. A total of 10 stages will be implemented, starting with the newly established 'Asuke SS' and concluding with the 'Mikawa Lake PS (Power Stage)' on the final day, with the winner determined by the cumulative time of all SS.
The World Rally Championship (WRC) is one of the world championships in motorsport overseen by the FIA (International Automobile Federation). It is the pinnacle of sprint rallying, where cars based on production models compete for section times in 'Special Stages (SS).'
In the 2026 season, Takamoto Katsuta, the sole Japanese driver for TOYOTA GAZOO Racing World Rally Team, achieved a historic first victory for a Japanese driver in 34 years at the 3rd round, 'Safari Rally Kenya.' Furthermore, he secured another victory in the subsequent 4th round, 'Croatia Rally,' achieving the first-ever WRC consecutive wins by a Japanese driver. He even briefly rose to the top of the points standings, a remarkable feat. Although he narrowly missed a third consecutive win in the recent 5th round, 'Rally Islas Canarias,' he currently holds a close second place in the rankings, drawing significant attention from across Japan as he aims for the annual championship title.
'Forum8 Rally Japan 2026,' held in Japan, will take place as the 7th round of the 2026 season, starting on Thursday, May 28. This will be the fifth consecutive year it is held in Aichi and Gifu, with this year's event conceptualized as 'Rally to Experience.' For the first time, an opening ceremony will be held in Nagoya City, and new courses, 'Fujioka Super Special Stage (SSS)' and 'Asuke Special Stage (SS)' in Toyota City, have been added. The competition will be contested over a total of 10 stages, with the winner determined by the cumulative time of all SS, and a ceremonial finish will be held at Toyota Stadium on the final day.
ABEMA will deliver free live broadcasts of the special stages of 'Forum8 Rally Japan 2026,' where fierce competition is expected. Furthermore, the 'Rally Japan Channel,' specially opened for a limited time in conjunction with the event, will offer numerous special programs in addition to live broadcasts, introducing basic rally knowledge and key viewing points. Familiar faces from ABEMA's motorsport broadcasts and luxurious guests representing various fields are also scheduled to appear in on-site reports and studio broadcasts, continuing from last year.
'Forum8 Rally Japan 2026' aims to deliver new appeal under the theme of 'Rally to Experience.' Please enjoy the excitement and speed of the event, which is seeing unprecedented盛り上がり (excitement) due to Takamoto Katsuta's impressive performance, on ABEMA.
■ ABEMA 'Rally Japan Channel' Overview
Distribution Period: Monday, May 25, 2026 - Sunday, May 31, 2026
Official LP: https://abema.tv/lp/rallyjapan-onair
'WRC World Rally Championship 2026' Series Page: https://abema.tv/video/title/16-98
PR Video: https://abema.tv/video/title/16-98_s70_p900
*Broadcast dates, content, and format are subject to change without notice. Please be aware in advance.
*When publishing or using images, please be sure to include the credit: (C) AbemaTV, Inc.
■ About 'World Rally Championship (WRC)' and 'FIA World Rally Championship Forum8 Rally Japan 2026'
The FIA (International Automobile Federation) organized 'World Rally Championship (WRC)' is the world's premier automobile competition series, with over 50 years of history since its establishment in 1973.
It is a sprint-format race where drivers and co-drivers compete one by one for section times on diverse road surfaces such as paved roads (tarmac), unpaved roads (gravel), and snowy roads (snow), with its appeal lying in speed, technique, and strategy.
The 2026 event will be held in the Aichi-Gifu area for the fifth consecutive year. This year's event, under the concept of 'Rally to Experience,' will feature an opening ceremony held for the first time in Nagoya City, as well as new courses such as 'Fujioka Super Special Stage (SSS)' and 'Asuke Special Stage (SS)' in Toyota City. A total of 10 stages will be implemented, starting with the newly established 'Asuke SS' and concluding with the 'Mikawa Lake PS (Power Stage)' on the final day, with the winner determined by the cumulative time of all SS.