Here’s something most “how to unblock ABEMA” articles won’t tell you, because it undercuts their VPN sales pitch: ABEMA already works in most countries. Unlike TVer, which is fully geo-blocked, ABEMA officially supports overseas access for much of its content. So before you pay for anything, the honest first step is simply to try it.
This guide is the straight story — verified against ABEMA’s own help pages — on what plays abroad, what doesn’t, and where a VPN does or doesn’t fit.
ABEMA’s homepage, captured from here in Japan (June 2026). Source: abema.tv
The Quick Answer
- Just open abema.tv from your country first. ABEMA states it’s usable in most countries — a lot of content plays abroad with no tricks at all
- A good chunk is free and ad-supported — no account, no payment
- Some shows and some countries are blocked. If you hit “not available in your region,” that title is geo-restricted
About VPNs, honestly: VPN websites will tell you the US (and other countries) “need a VPN,” but ABEMA’s own help pages say it works in most countries and that VPN use is “outside the recommended environment.” The two disagree — so the smart move is to try ABEMA first and only consider a VPN if the show you want is blocked. More on that below.
ABEMA vs TVer: A Key Difference
This matters, and it’s the kind of thing you only learn from actually using both here in Japan:
| ABEMA | TVer | |
|---|---|---|
| Works abroad directly? | ✅ Yes, in most countries (per ABEMA) | ❌ No, fully geo-blocked |
| Free content | ✅ Lots | ✅ Lots |
| VPN needed? | Only for region-locked titles — and officially not recommended | Yes, to watch anything |
If you’ve read our TVer guide, don’t assume ABEMA is the same. Try ABEMA directly first — you may not need to do anything else.
What Is ABEMA?
ABEMA (run by CyberAgent and TV Asahi) is “internet TV” — its core is 24/7 scheduled channels rather than an on-demand grid: an anime channel, a news channel, a dating-show channel, a dedicated shogi channel, and dozens more, running around the clock, plus an on-demand library on top.
What’s Worth Watching
Three things make ABEMA a destination for fans abroad:
Same-day anime simulcasts. ABEMA streams new anime episodes as they air in Japan, with recent episodes typically free for about a week — some free to binge all season. For fans who don’t want to wait on overseas licensing, this is the draw.
Dating reality shows. ABEMA’s Kyō, Suki ni Narimashita (今日、好きになりました / “I Liked You Today”) is a rolling phenomenon — new teen-dating seasons constantly, free, weekly, with a devoted international following.
Live shogi. The Shogi Channel runs professional Japanese chess 24/7, free, with live coverage of top players — hyper-specific content that exists nowhere else.
Plus news, variety, sports, and a back-catalog.
Free vs. ABEMA Premium
A lot is free; Premium unlocks the rest:
| Free (ad-supported) | ABEMA Premium | |
|---|---|---|
| Live 24/7 channels | ✅ | ✅ |
| Recent anime episodes | ✅ (limited window) | ✅ full back-catalog |
| On-demand library | Limited | ✅ Full |
| Ads | Yes | Reduced/none |
| Price | Free | ¥1,180/month (ad-supported Premium ¥680/month) |
Premium pricing rose in April 2026 — ¥1,180/month, or ¥680/month for an ad-supported tier, per ABEMA’s price-change notice.
Two reassurances straight from ABEMA’s help pages: you’re never charged unless you sign up for a paid plan yourself (free content is marked with a 無料 tag), and there’s pay-per-view for some one-off events if you’d rather not subscribe.
For most people abroad, the free tier is the whole reason to bother — and much of it works from your country already.
The Confusing Part: “Can I Watch in the US?”
If you search this, you’ll get two flatly contradictory answers — so here’s both, with sources, and let you judge:
- ABEMA’s own help pages say it’s available “in most countries, except some regions,” but that certain countries and certain programs can’t be viewed. ABEMA does not publish a list of which countries or which shows are blocked.
- Most VPN websites say ABEMA is geo-blocked in places like the US and that you “need a VPN.” Worth remembering: those sites earn money when you buy a VPN, so they have a reason to state it as flatly as possible.
The honest truth is that the two don’t agree, and we can’t test every country from here in Japan, so we won’t pretend to know exactly what plays where you are. What’s clear is that the picture is per-title and per-region: some content plays abroad freely, some shows throw a “お住まいの地域からご利用になれません” (“not available in your region”) message.
So What Should You Actually Do?
The sane approach, given the uncertainty:
- Open ABEMA from your country and try the show you actually want. Costs nothing, takes a minute.
- If it plays — you’re done. No VPN, no payment. (Don’t let a VPN ad talk you into buying something you don’t need.)
- If you hit “not available in your region” on the title you came for — that’s when a VPN is worth considering.
In other words: let the result decide, not a sales page.
Device note: like TVer, ABEMA doesn’t play well in a phone or tablet web browser — in Japan, mobile viewing is done through the ABEMA app. Whether that app works from outside Japan is something we haven’t tested, so for a predictable result, test ABEMA on a desktop browser at abema.tv.
If You Do Need a VPN
If the specific show you want is region-locked, a VPN connected to a Japanese server is the usual workaround. Two honest caveats first:
- ABEMA lists VPN use as “outside the recommended environment.” It’s unsupported and not guaranteed to work — it can break anytime.
- So the single most important feature isn’t speed or servers — it’s a refund window, because there’s a real chance it won’t work for your target show.
I used NordVPN for six years for Japanese and overseas streaming and found it fast and reliable, which is why I’d try it first — but for ABEMA specifically, lean on that 30-day money-back window and cancel if it doesn’t deliver what you wanted.
Check NordVPN plans (30-day refund) →This is informational; using a VPN with ABEMA is against its recommended environment, so do so at your own discretion.
Does ABEMA Have English Subtitles?
Short answer, and it’s the honest one: no — not in any way you can rely on.
ABEMA is a domestic Japanese service, built for viewers in Japan. Watching it on the TV here, everything is in Japanese: the menus, the player, the shows. There is no English-subtitle toggle in the player. The captions you will see fall into two kinds, and neither is a translation:
- Japanese closed captions (字幕) on some programs — an accessibility feature for Japanese viewers, not English
- Decorative on-screen text (telops) all over variety and dating shows — big colorful Japanese captions that are part of the show itself
A few practical notes so you know exactly what you’d be getting:
- Anime simulcasts play in raw Japanese — no English subs. If you want the same show with official English subtitles, the overseas service that licensed it (Crunchyroll, Netflix, etc. — it varies by show) is where those live
- Your browser’s translate feature can translate ABEMA’s menus, but it cannot touch subtitles or text inside the video itself
- For Japanese learners, this is actually the good part: native-speed audio, Japanese captions on some content, and the kind of unscripted talk you don’t get from textbooks. If you’re studying, ABEMA is genuinely strong immersion material — see our learning section for how we’d use it
So the realistic split: if you can’t understand spoken Japanese at all and want to follow a drama’s plot, ABEMA will frustrate you — use a licensed service with English subs for that show instead. If you’re a learner, or a fan who mostly wants the live-TV atmosphere (shogi, news, music shows, background Japanese TV), ABEMA abroad is well worth it, free.
Where ABEMA Fits
ABEMA is one piece of Japan’s streaming map. For how it compares to TVer, NHK ONE, U-NEXT and the rest, see our full Japanese streaming services guide. If broadcast dramas are what you’re after, those live on TVer — which, unlike ABEMA, genuinely does need a VPN abroad.
FAQ
Can I watch ABEMA in the US / outside Japan? It depends on the specific show, and the sources disagree: ABEMA’s help pages say it works in most countries, while many VPN sites say places like the US are blocked. Neither publishes a definitive list. The reliable move is to try the title you want from your country — if it plays, you’re set; if it says “not available in your region,” consider a VPN then.
Is ABEMA free? A large part is free and ad-supported, marked with a 無料 tag. Per ABEMA’s help pages you’re never charged unless you sign up for a paid plan. Premium (¥1,180/month, or ¥680/month ad-supported) unlocks the full library; pay-per-view exists for some one-off events.
Why do some ABEMA shows say “not available in your region”? Those specific titles are geo-restricted by licensing, even though ABEMA itself works in your country. It’s per-title, not the whole service.
Should I use a VPN for ABEMA? Only if the specific shows you want are region-locked — and know that ABEMA lists VPN use as outside its recommended environment, so it’s unsupported and may not work. Try ABEMA directly first; don’t pay for a VPN you might not need.
Should I watch on my phone or my computer? Use a computer. Like TVer, ABEMA doesn’t play well in a mobile web browser — in Japan, phone and tablet viewing is done through the ABEMA app. We haven’t tested whether that app can be used from abroad, so a desktop browser at abema.tv is the predictable route.
Does ABEMA have English subtitles? No — there’s no English-subtitle option in the player. Captions you see are Japanese closed captions or decorative Japanese on-screen text. For official English subs on a given anime, look for the overseas service that licensed it. Details in the section above.
This post contains affiliate links — see our disclosure. Written from Chiba, Japan, where ABEMA is one of the apps on the TV — facts checked against ABEMA’s official help pages, June 2026. English-subtitle section added July 2026.