There are renewed hopes for the live broadcast of the FIFA Football World Cup 2026. Indian media powerhouse Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL) has confirmed that it is holding negotiations with the sport’s governing body, FIFA, to telecast the 2026 World Cup matches in India.
If the deal goes through, the FIFA 2026 World Cup matches will be available live on television as well as on the internet in the country.
The development came as Zee announced the launch of four new sports channels to cater to the growing audience in the country. The new bouquet of sports channels have been named ‘Unite8 Sports’.
“Unite8 Sports will encompass emerging formats, marquee properties and high-engagement content,” the company said in a statement.
Zee has entered the FIFA World Cup broadcast race as its key rival, JioStar, is reported to have exited the negotiations. JioStar is believed to have offered FIFA around $20-25 million for the broadcast rights. The football’s governing body had originally sought around $100 million for India rights.
Zee is said to have offered around $30-35 million.
The United States, Canada and Mexico are co-hosting the 2026 edition of the FIFA World Cup. The world’s biggest football spectacle begins June 11, with the final slated to be played on July 19. A total of 104 matches are part of the schedule, with a majority to be played between midnight and 6 am Indian time.
The odd-hour timing of the matches for the Indian audiences this year is one of the key reasons why Indian broadcasters are not willing to shell out huge amounts for the rights. These slots are hard to sell to advertisers, and coupled with the global headwinds being witnessed across industries, the revenue potential for the tournament is not too high.
However, Zee may be looking at the FIFA World Cup as a big stage to make a comeback to the live sports broadcasting.
Zee had exited the sports broadcasting business in 2016 when it sold its bouquet of TEN Sports channels to Sony for Rs 2,600 crores. It came back to the arena in 2022 by bagging a long-term deal to stream UAE T20 League matches on its Zee5 OTT platform and entertainment channels.
FIFA World Cup could be Zee’s biggest bet to reconnect with sports audiences in the country amid growing fanbase for different sports in India with the launch of different leagues.
As regards its Unite8 Sports portfolio, the company said the channels would be named as Unite8 Sports 1 (Hindi), Unite8 Sports 1 HD (Hindi), Unite8 Sports 2 (English) and Unite8 Sports 2 HD (English).
The channels would feature sports content across cricket, football, kabaddi, badminton, wrestling, boxing and combat sports, among others.
Zee has already applied for regulatory clearances and licensing for the launch of these channels.