The Karate One Premier League 2026 will bring together 574 athletes from 76 countries across four stages held in Istanbul (Turkey), Rome (Italy), Leshan (China), and Rabat (Morocco), with 2,439 bouts on the program, according to a report published Wednesday by World Karate.
The Karate One Premier League 2026 circuit, presented by the world governing body as a benchmark season with its four stages, took place in 12 weight categories and featured athletes from all five continents.
The four events in Istanbul (Turkey), Rome (Italy), Leshan (China), and Rabat (Morocco) also featured a new visual identity and several technological advancements designed to enhance production, broadcasting, and the spectator experience.
According to World Karate, the Premier League fostered a digital community of 2.2 million people on social media. The content produced during the four competitions generated 80 million impressions and reached 43.5 million people.
Fans also generated 290,000 comments and shares, while competition-related videos totaled 49 million views and 3.7 million interactions.
On the tatami, athletes competing in kumite scored a total of 10,943 points during the season. Yuko was the most scored technique with 6,484 points, followed by ippon with 951 points and waza-ari with 803 points.
The highest individual score recorded in a match reached 16 points, according to statistics released by World Karate.
The kata competition also provided valuable data on the athletes’ technical choices. The Suparinpei was the most frequently performed kata, with 137 demonstrations, followed by the Papuren, with 118, and the Chatanyara Kushanku, with 82.
A growing digital audience
Digital broadcasting also saw growth. World Karate reports 843,000 subscribers and 3.5 million views of content streamed across the four stages, for a total of 701,000 unique viewers.
For the world organisation, these results illustrate its commitment to making the Premier League a showcase for high-level karate and to expanding its audience beyond just those attending events in person.
The 2026 season ended after the stages in Istanbul, Rome, Leshan and Rabat, with 574 athletes, 76 nationalities, 2,439 fights and a presence on five continents, thus concluding the 2026 circuit with a record presented by World Karate as the most important in its history.
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