Domestic Top Poker Players Gather for "ABEMA POKER INVITATIONAL 2026" to be Exclusively Streamed for Free on "ABEMA" Starting July 25, 2026

ABEMA, the "new future TV," has decided to exclusively stream the original tournament "ABEMA POKER INVITATIONAL 2026" (6 episodes total), featuring 8 of Japan's top poker players, for free starting at 10 PM on July 25, 2026.

"ABEMA POKER INVITATIONAL" is an original ABEMA poker tournament where invited top domestic players engage in a serious, no-holds-barred competition for a grand prize of 10 million yen. In the previous tournament, Shina Okamoto emerged as the first champion, mastering intense psychological warfare and meticulous strategy.

This year's tournament will see 5 players from the previous tournament—Misawa, Shina Okamoto, Shota Nakanishi, Amu, and Kei Nitta—return, joined by 3 formidable new faces who compete on the world stage. The new members include Ruiko, an APT champion of Asia's top class who won the "National Cup Championship" at "APT Championship Taipei 2025" after overcoming over 2,000 fierce competitors; Hayato Kitajima, a world-class talent who achieved 7th place and became a finalist in the "$777 Lucky 7's No-Limit Hold'em" at the "World Series Of Poker," the world's premier event; and Reichaso, a skilled player who won the "WPT Prime Cambodia Main Event," a major international tournament, with overwhelming intuition. Will the previous champion defend their title, will the existing members get their revenge, or will the strongest challengers become the new heroes? A summit showdown where not a moment's lapse in concentration is allowed, and which you won't want to miss, is about to begin.

Furthermore, a significant enhancement in this tournament is the greatly improved commentary segment by the players themselves. By strengthening the frequency and attention to detail in the commentary, the players themselves will reveal the thought processes behind their actions under extreme pressure. This will allow not only experienced poker players but also beginners to further appreciate the deep strategy and charm of poker.

Please look forward to the opening of "ABEMA POKER INVITATIONAL 2026," a poker tournament featuring the selected top-of-the-top players, only available on ABEMA.

ABEMA has delivered numerous programs that make mind sports enjoyable and accessible, such as live broadcasts of the M-League on its Mahjong channel and original matches on its Shogi channel. Moving forward, we aim to widely disseminate the profound appeal of mind sports, including poker, to society, acquire new fan bases, and foster market development.

"ABEMA POKER INVITATIONAL 2026" Free Exclusive Streaming Overview

First broadcast date: July 25, 2026 (Sat) 10 PM~ *Subsequent broadcasts every Saturday at 10 PM for a total of 6 episodes

・Broadcast Channel: ABEMA SPECIAL channel

・PR Video URL: https://abema.tv/video/episode/90-2036_s2_p800

・#1 Broadcast URL: https://abema.tv/channels/abema-special/slots/98fkWCzz8UFW55

・Cast: Amu, Shina Okamoto, Hayato Kitajima, Shota Nakanishi, Kei Nitta, Misawa, Ruiko, Reichaso *In Japanese syllabary order

・Commentator: Shohei Taguchi

・Analyst: Souzirou

・ABEMA Poker Official X: https://x.com/poker_ABEMA

・ABEMA Poker Official YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@poker_ABEMA

*Please include the credit notation [(C)AbemaTV, Inc.] when using images.

About "ABEMA"

"ABEMA" is a video distribution service that celebrated its 10th anniversary on April 11, 2026, and is developing as "new future TV" aiming for innovation in television. Since its launch, it has been an internet television service that can be enjoyed without registration and is basically free, offering 24-hour news channels, original dramas, romance reality shows, variety shows pursuing "highest quality or uniqueness," as well as anime and sports, broadcasting approximately 25 channels of diverse genres 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

In addition to the No. 1 number of original episodes in Japan (※) from a domestic video service, it offers a rich lineup of anticipated new movies, popular domestic and international dramas, and trending anime, as well as sports broadcasts and online live events. You can enjoy content anytime, regardless of time, through TV and on-demand viewing. Furthermore, through a viewing experience that is not bound by location on smartphones, PCs, tablets, and TV devices, we continue to provide content while catering to diverse lifestyles.

Additionally, "ABEMA Premium" for 1,180 yen (tax included) per month allows you to enjoy exclusive features and content, and "ABEMA Premium with Ads" for 680 yen (tax included) per month allows you to watch "ABEMA Premium" exclusive content with ads.

(※) As of March 2026, self-researched.

For the latest information, please check official social media.

"ABEMA" (https://abema.tv/), the new future TV where you can enjoy free videos and trending content.

To commemorate its 10th anniversary, "ABEMA" is rolling out various campaigns throughout the year to celebrate, including special program broadcasts and the "ABEMA 10th Anniversary Free Grand Thanksgiving Festival." Please look forward to "ABEMA's" 10th anniversary.

"ABEMA" 10th Anniversary Site URL: https://contents-abema.com/10th/