Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. (Z) has announced a partnership with world football–governing body FIFA.
Z thus becomes the home for FIFA events in India, starting with the upcoming FIFA World Cup 2026, and will also broadcast the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup and the 2030 FIFA World Cup, along with other key FIFA events until 2034.
FIFA and Zee will also collaborate on docu-series content for the Indian market as part of the agreement, which also covers events such as the FIFA Men’s U17 World Cup through editions 2026 to 2034, the FIFA Women’s U-17 World Cup through editions 2026 to 2034, the FIFA U-20 Men’s World Cup through editions 2027 to 2033, the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup through editions 2026 to 2034, the FIFA Futsal Men’s World Cup through editions 2028 and 2032, the FIFA Futsal Women’s World Cup through editions 2029 to 2033), and the FIFA Intercontinental Cup through editions 2026 to 2030, in addition to the aforementioned World Cups.
Zee has also launched dedicated sports channels, Unite8 Sports 1, Unite8 Sports 1 HD, Unite8 Sports 2, and Unite8 Sports 2 HD, to give Indian football fans the best viewing experiences in languages of their choice through Zee’s integrated TV and digital ecosystem, with its online streaming platform ZEE5 also set to provide coverage of the 2026 World Cup.
Romy Gai, FIFA Chief Business Officer, commented:
“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.”
Mukund Galgali, Deputy CEO & Chief Financial Officer, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd, said:
“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. We view sports as a powerful catalyst to unlock long-term economic and social value by translating the growing passion for sports to contribute meaningfully towards the Nation’s aspirations.”
Sandeep Mehrotra, Chief Operating Officer – Advertisement Revenue, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd, added:
“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. With our structured efforts, we are unlocking a new monetization avenue, while participating in the larger growth story of sports in India.”
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