ABEMA to Provide Japan's First 24-Hour Completely Free Live Broadcast of the Le Mans 24 Hours

ABEMA, the "new future television," is pleased to announce that it will provide Japan's first-ever 24-hour completely free live broadcast of the final of the world's premier endurance race, the 94th Le Mans 24 Hours, to be held from June 13 (Sat) to 14 (Sun), 2026.

Set at the Circuit de la Sarthe in France, the Le Mans 24 Hours is a legendary motorsport event with over 100 years of history since its inception in 1923. Along with F1's Monaco Grand Prix and the Indy 500, it is known as one of the "Triple Crown of Motorsport." The race tests how much distance vehicles can cover over 24 hours under grueling conditions, with much of the circuit being public roads. In recent years, top automakers including Toyota, Ferrari, Porsche, and Cadillac have competed in the premier Hypercar class, resulting in unprecedented intensity. From Japan, Toyota, with its historic five-consecutive-win record from 2018, is participating, attracting significant attention as to whether they can reclaim the title after four years.

Guided by the desire to allow a wider audience to enjoy motorsports and to contribute to the development of the motorsport market for the next generation, ABEMA has been delivering the appeal of motorsports to both ardent fans and beginners. Since 2023, ABEMA has provided free live broadcasts of the entire season of the premier domestic formula race, "Super Formula," and began free live broadcasts of the "WRC (World Rally Championship)" in 2024, continuously challenging itself with various initiatives to create opportunities for people to engage with motorsports.

In the 2026 season, ABEMA continues to broadcast diverse motorsport content, including the "WRC," which features the "Forum8 Rally Japan 2026" starting May 28 (Thu), as well as "Super Formula" and the highly popular American series "NASCAR." ABEMA will continue to challenge itself with various initiatives as a gateway to motorsports.

To further boost excitement for motorsports, ABEMA has decided to broadcast the historic "Le Mans 24 Hours" completely free for 24 hours. This continuous, completely free 24-hour live broadcast is the first attempt in Japanese broadcasting and distribution.

ABEMA's coverage of the Le Mans 24 Hours will be designed to be easy for beginners to understand while allowing them to fully enjoy the depth of motorsports. In addition, race highlights will be distributed sequentially on ABEMA alongside the live broadcast, allowing viewers to look back on race developments at any time, in real-time or later.

Furthermore, luxury commentary teams, centered on those with Le Mans experience, will be invited to a special studio in Japan to deliver the race developments with their wealth of experience. Special guests are also scheduled to appear, and details regarding commentary teams and studio guests will be announced in due course.

We invite you to enjoy the passion of the Le Mans 24 Hours, where human drama unfolds on the world's premier stage, testing extreme speed and durability, all for free on ABEMA.