The first season of the Pokémon anime — commonly known as Pokémon: Indigo League — is headed to Disney+ and Hulu, with streaming access beginning August 7, 2026.
Disney XD will air the season a day earlier on August 6, 2026, according to a Disney press release.
The move continues The Pokémon Company International’s long-running strategy of making the animated series widely available across linear and streaming platforms.
Background and production
The Pokémon anime franchise has been distributed across multiple platforms worldwide over the past two decades.
The original television series, produced by OLM (formerly Oriental Light and Magic), premiered in Japan in 1997 and in North America in 1998.
The Pokémon Company International handles global licensing and distribution outside Asia, while Nintendo remains a principal stakeholder in the broader Pokémon IP alongside Game Freak and Creatures.
The franchise’s presence on streaming services has included prior licensing arrangements with multiple providers, reflecting the series’ continued value as cross-media entertainment tied to Pokémon games on Nintendo Switch and other platforms.
What Disney is releasing
Disney’s announcement frames the first season as an origin story for Ash Ketchum: it recounts how a 10-year-old Ash sets out to become a Pokémon Trainer, unexpectedly receives a Pikachu as his starter companion, and begins the Gym Badge journey accompanied by early allies Brock and Misty and original Pokémon such as Bulbasaur, Squirtle, and Charmander.
In journalistic terms, Disney describes the season as the introductory arc that established Ash and Pikachu’s partnership and introduced the Kanto-region characters and creatures that define the franchise’s early era.
Why this matters to fans and industry observers
The release gives viewers access to the classic Ash-and-Pikachu storyline at a time when the televised anime has moved into new narrative directions with different protagonists.
For Nintendo and The Pokémon Company International, the Disney+ and Hulu windows reinforce the franchise’s multi-platform strategy, complementing its continued presence on Nintendo Switch and distribution of game content through the Nintendo eShop.
The Disney XD broadcast beginning August 6, 2026, provides a linear TV option for audiences who prefer scheduled programming.
Source: Disney Press Release
Disney XD will air the season a day earlier on August 6, 2026, according to a Disney press release.
The move continues The Pokémon Company International’s long-running strategy of making the animated series widely available across linear and streaming platforms.
Background and production
The Pokémon anime franchise has been distributed across multiple platforms worldwide over the past two decades.
The original television series, produced by OLM (formerly Oriental Light and Magic), premiered in Japan in 1997 and in North America in 1998.
The Pokémon Company International handles global licensing and distribution outside Asia, while Nintendo remains a principal stakeholder in the broader Pokémon IP alongside Game Freak and Creatures.
The franchise’s presence on streaming services has included prior licensing arrangements with multiple providers, reflecting the series’ continued value as cross-media entertainment tied to Pokémon games on Nintendo Switch and other platforms.
What Disney is releasing
Disney’s announcement frames the first season as an origin story for Ash Ketchum: it recounts how a 10-year-old Ash sets out to become a Pokémon Trainer, unexpectedly receives a Pikachu as his starter companion, and begins the Gym Badge journey accompanied by early allies Brock and Misty and original Pokémon such as Bulbasaur, Squirtle, and Charmander.
In journalistic terms, Disney describes the season as the introductory arc that established Ash and Pikachu’s partnership and introduced the Kanto-region characters and creatures that define the franchise’s early era.
Why this matters to fans and industry observers
The release gives viewers access to the classic Ash-and-Pikachu storyline at a time when the televised anime has moved into new narrative directions with different protagonists.
For Nintendo and The Pokémon Company International, the Disney+ and Hulu windows reinforce the franchise’s multi-platform strategy, complementing its continued presence on Nintendo Switch and distribution of game content through the Nintendo eShop.
The Disney XD broadcast beginning August 6, 2026, provides a linear TV option for audiences who prefer scheduled programming.
Source: Disney Press Release
