Zee Entertainment Enterprises has secured Indian broadcast and streaming rights to 39 FIFA events scheduled between 2026 and 2034, marking its first partnership with FIFA and a major expansion of its sports portfolio in one of the world’s most competitive media markets. The rights package includes the FIFA World Cup 2026, FIFA World Cup 2030 and FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027, along with a wide range of youth, futsal and documentary programming tied to FIFA competitions.
The deal covers multiple age-group tournaments in both the men’s and women’s game, including the FIFA Men’s U-17 World Cup and FIFA Women’s U-17 World Cup from 2026 through 2034, the FIFA U-20 Men’s and Women’s World Cup cycles, the FIFA Futsal Men’s and Women’s World Cups, and the FIFA Intercontinental Cup through 2030. Zee said the agreement gives it access to a long-term slate of football content aimed at building consistent audience engagement beyond the flagship senior World Cups.
Coverage will begin on June 11 with the FIFA World Cup 2026 opener. Zee will air the event across four newly launched linear sports channels: Unite8 Sports 1 and Unite8 Sports 1 HD in Hindi, and Unite8 Sports 2 and Unite8 Sports 2 HD in English. Matches will also stream on ZEE5, the company’s digital platform. The company said the channel launches are part of a broader push to create dedicated sports destinations for Indian viewers.
Punit Goenka, chief executive of Zee Entertainment Enterprises, said the company is excited to bring one of the world’s biggest sporting events to Indian audiences and believes football has strong long-term potential across regions and demographics. Romy Gai, FIFA’s chief business officer, said India remains strategically important for FIFA because of its young and passionate audience.
The agreement follows a lengthy and closely watched rights negotiation in India. According to prior reporting, FIFA had initially sought $100 million for the 2026 and 2030 tournament rights before lowering its demand to about $60 million. JioStar reportedly offered $20 million, while Sony exited the bidding process. Zee did not disclose financial terms for the final agreement.
Mukund Galgali, Zee’s deputy CEO and chief financial officer, said football remains an underexploited opportunity in India and that the company sees significant potential to expand the sport’s mass appeal nationwide. Zee’s Unite8 Sports already carries cricket, kabaddi, badminton, wrestling and combat sports, and the FIFA deal adds another major global property to its lineup.
For Zee, the partnership represents an important step into football broadcasting at a time when cricket still dominates the Indian sports rights market. The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be the first major test of whether the company can turn football into a larger mainstream offering for Indian viewers.
