Mumbai: Indian football fans have reason to cheer as FIFA has inked a landmark deal with Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd to broadcast the FIFA World Cup 2026 and 39 other global football events, including the FIFA Women's World Cup 2027 and FIFA World Cup 2030.
The agreement, valued at an estimated $30-35 million according to earlier reports, marks Zee's biggest push into sports broadcasting.
To leverage the deal, the company announced the launch of Unite8 Sports, a new bouquet of four dedicated sports channels that include Unite8 Sports 1, Unite8 Sports 1 HD (Hindi), Unite8 Sports 2, and Unite8 Sports 2 HD (English).
These channels will showcase premium action across football, cricket, kabaddi, badminton, wrestling, boxing, and combat sports, aiming to expand the reach of global sporting content in India.
Zee confirmed the development in an exchange filing, calling it a "firm step to enhance its presence in the sports broadcasting ecosystem." The move positions Zee as a major player in India's sports media market, intensifying competition with established broadcasters.