diff --git a/internal/domain/playback.go b/internal/domain/playback.go
index bbf37ad..97360a8 100644
--- a/internal/domain/playback.go
+++ b/internal/domain/playback.go
@@ -89,6 +89,8 @@ type EpisodeData struct {
 
 type PlaybackRepository interface {
 	InTx(ctx context.Context, fn func(ctx context.Context, repo PlaybackRepository) error) error
+	UpsertAnime(ctx context.Context, params db.UpsertAnimeParams) (db.Anime, error)
+	GetAnime(ctx context.Context, id int64) (db.Anime, error)
 	GetWatchListEntry(ctx context.Context, params db.GetWatchListEntryParams) (db.WatchListEntry, error)
 	GetContinueWatchingEntry(ctx context.Context, params db.GetContinueWatchingEntryParams) (db.ContinueWatchingEntry, error)
 	SaveWatchProgress(ctx context.Context, params db.SaveWatchProgressParams) error
diff --git a/internal/playback/progress.go b/internal/playback/progress.go
index e9750de..8dab835 100644
--- a/internal/playback/progress.go
+++ b/internal/playback/progress.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"database/sql"
 	"encoding/json"
+	"fmt"
 	"strconv"
 
 	"github.com/google/uuid"
@@ -108,13 +109,22 @@ func (s *playbackService) CompleteAnime(ctx context.Context, userID string, anim
 }
 
 func (s *playbackService) SaveProgress(ctx context.Context, userID string, animeID int64, episode int, timeSeconds float64) error {
-	_, err := s.repo.UpsertContinueWatchingEntry(ctx, db.UpsertContinueWatchingEntryParams{
-		ID:                 uuid.New().String(),
-		UserID:             userID,
-		AnimeID:            animeID,
-		CurrentEpisode:     sql.NullInt64{Int64: int64(episode), Valid: true},
-		CurrentTimeSeconds: timeSeconds,
-		DurationSeconds:    sql.NullFloat64{Valid: false},
+	err := s.repo.InTx(ctx, func(txCtx context.Context, repo domain.PlaybackRepository) error {
+		if _, err := repo.GetAnime(txCtx, animeID); err != nil {
+			if _, err := repo.UpsertAnime(txCtx, minimalAnimeParams(animeID)); err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
+		}
+
+		_, err := repo.UpsertContinueWatchingEntry(txCtx, db.UpsertContinueWatchingEntryParams{
+			ID:                 uuid.New().String(),
+			UserID:             userID,
+			AnimeID:            animeID,
+			CurrentEpisode:     sql.NullInt64{Int64: int64(episode), Valid: true},
+			CurrentTimeSeconds: timeSeconds,
+			DurationSeconds:    sql.NullFloat64{Valid: false},
+		})
+		return err
 	})
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
@@ -148,3 +158,36 @@ func (s *playbackService) SaveProgress(ctx context.Context, userID string, anime
 	})
 	return nil
 }
+
+func (s *playbackService) ensureAnimeRow(ctx context.Context, anime domain.Anime) {
+	if _, err := s.repo.GetAnime(ctx, int64(anime.MalID)); err == nil {
+		return
+	}
+	_, _ = s.repo.UpsertAnime(ctx, animeParams(anime))
+}
+
+func animeParams(anime domain.Anime) db.UpsertAnimeParams {
+	durationSeconds := anime.DurationSeconds()
+	duration := sql.NullFloat64{Valid: durationSeconds > 0}
+	if duration.Valid {
+		duration.Float64 = durationSeconds
+	}
+
+	return db.UpsertAnimeParams{
+		ID:              int64(anime.MalID),
+		TitleOriginal:   anime.Title,
+		TitleEnglish:    sql.NullString{String: anime.TitleEnglish, Valid: anime.TitleEnglish != ""},
+		TitleJapanese:   sql.NullString{String: anime.TitleJapanese, Valid: anime.TitleJapanese != ""},
+		ImageUrl:        anime.ImageURL(),
+		Airing:          sql.NullBool{Bool: anime.Airing, Valid: true},
+		DurationSeconds: duration,
+	}
+}
+
+func minimalAnimeParams(animeID int64) db.UpsertAnimeParams {
+	return db.UpsertAnimeParams{
+		ID:            animeID,
+		TitleOriginal: fmt.Sprintf("Anime %d", animeID),
+		Airing:        sql.NullBool{Valid: false},
+	}
+}
diff --git a/internal/playback/repository.go b/internal/playback/repository.go
index 02ecf69..a13e588 100644
--- a/internal/playback/repository.go
+++ b/internal/playback/repository.go
@@ -23,6 +23,14 @@ func (r *playbackRepository) InTx(ctx context.Context, fn func(ctx context.Conte
 	}, fn)
 }
 
+func (r *playbackRepository) UpsertAnime(ctx context.Context, params db.UpsertAnimeParams) (db.Anime, error) {
+	return r.queries.UpsertAnime(ctx, params)
+}
+
+func (r *playbackRepository) GetAnime(ctx context.Context, id int64) (db.Anime, error) {
+	return r.queries.GetAnime(ctx, id)
+}
+
 func (r *playbackRepository) GetWatchListEntry(ctx context.Context, params db.GetWatchListEntryParams) (db.WatchListEntry, error) {
 	return r.queries.GetWatchListEntry(ctx, params)
 }
diff --git a/internal/playback/watch_data.go b/internal/playback/watch_data.go
index 2b7836a..54b8c90 100644
--- a/internal/playback/watch_data.go
+++ b/internal/playback/watch_data.go
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ func (s *playbackService) BuildWatchData(ctx context.Context, animeID int, title
 	}
 
 	animeData := domain.Anime{Anime: anime}
+	s.ensureAnimeRow(ctx, animeData)
 	searchTitles := buildSearchTitles(animeData, titleCandidates)
 	canonicalEpisodes, err := s.episodes.GetCanonicalEpisodes(ctx, animeData, false)
 	if err != nil {