Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. (Z) has announced a partnership with FIFA to broadcast FIFA World Cup 2026, FIFA World Cup 2030, FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027, and a range of additional FIFA tournaments in India through 2034. The company is also launching four dedicated sports channels — Unite8 Sports 1, Unite8 Sports 1 HD, Unite8 Sports 2, and Unite8 Sports 2 HD — to carry the coverage, alongside streaming on its Zee5 digital platform.
The full portfolio of FIFA events covered includes the FIFA Men’s U-17 World Cup (2026–2034), FIFA Women’s U-17 World Cup (2026–2034), FIFA U-20 Men’s World Cup (2027, 2029, 2031, 2033), FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup (2026, 2028, 2030, 2032, 2034), FIFA Futsal Men’s World Cup (2028, 2032), FIFA Futsal Women’s World Cup (2029, 2033), and FIFA Intercontinental Cup (2026–2030). Rights also include documentary series content across tournaments. Bavesh Janavlekar will assume additional charge as Chief Business Officer of Unite8 Sports channels.
“We are excited to bring one of the world’s biggest sporting spectacles to Indian audiences. Football cuts across regions and demographics, and the investments in garnering the media rights and launching dedicated sports channels, reflect our clear belief in its long-term potential. Our approach has been to invest in properties where we see current relevance and future growth potential. Our partnership with FIFA will enable us to unlock the true value of the sport in line with our sharp focus on growth and profitability, while amplifying the excitement of the game for every fan,” says Punit Goenka, CEO, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd.
“The FIFA World Cup is the greatest show on earth, and we are glad to partner with ‘Z’ for the first time, to bring this global spectacle to India. The Indian market is of strategic importance for FIFA as it displays immense potential driven by a young and passionate audience. We believe the extensive broadcast and digital distribution ecosystem of ‘Z’ coupled with their deep understanding of local viewers and multi-platform capabilities will play a pivotal role in expanding the reach of football with fans across every part of India,” says Romy Gai, Chief Business Officer, FIFA.
“The partnership with FIFA marks a significant step in our journey to create a strong foundation in the sports ecosystem to drive long-term value creation. Football as a sport has tremendous under-leveraged potential in a country like India and we see a massive opportunity in unlocking its mass appeal for billions of viewers across the Nation. Our approach in the sports business is anchored in building a scalable and financially sustainable growth model through a disciplined capital allocation framework,” says Mukund Galgali, Deputy CEO and CFO, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd.
“As we strengthen our presence in the sports ecosystem, we are equally focused on building a high-value advertising environment that delivers scale and depth of engagement. Our diversified sports and entertainment portfolio provides brands an opportunity to tap into varied consumer cohorts and leverage the full spectrum of live sporting moments and meaningful content formats,” says Sandeep Mehrotra, Chief Operating Officer, Advertisement Revenue, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd.
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