Exclusive: Why Zee Snatched Up FIFA World Cup 2026 Broadcasting Rights

Just days before the start of the FIFA World Cup 2026, Zee Entertainment emerged as a saviour for Indian football fans. As some of the most renowned broadcasters in the country remained stuck in a loop of negotiations with FIFA, Zee saw a golden opportunity to not only end the deadlock but re-enter the sports broadcasting arena through its sports channel, Unite8. In an exclusive interview with NDTV, Bavesh Janavlekar, Chief Business Officer, Unite8 Sports, Zee Entertainment Enterprises, opened up about the vision behind the decision.

Q: When some of the established players decided to stay away from acquiring the broadcasting rights for the World Cup, or at least were unwilling to cross a certain valuation threshold, what made you swoop in?

For us at ZEE5 and Unite8, sports is not a short-term game, and the decision to acquire the FIFA World Cup rights was driven by long-term strategic conviction rather than immediate market noise. The FIFA World Cup is one of the most premium and culturally influential sporting properties in the world, with the ability to drive deep audience engagement, advertiser interest, and long-term fandom across television and digital platforms. We believe audience preferences in India are evolving rapidly, particularly amongst younger and digitally connected viewers who are increasingly consuming a wider mix of global sports content. We saw a clear opportunity to build a future-ready sports ecosystem around a property that has both scale and emotional connection. This is not just about a single tournament for us; it is about establishing a strong foundation in global sports, expanding our reach across audiences and markets, and creating more immersive, accessible, and culturally relevant experiences for fans across India.

Q: How do you view the sports entertainment business in India, especially beyond cricket?

The sports entertainment landscape in India is becoming far more diverse, regional, and audience-led than ever before. Whilst cricket continues to remain a hugely important part of the ecosystem, we are increasingly seeing passionate communities emerge around multiple sports across different parts of the country. Football, for instance, already has deeply rooted fan cultures in markets such as West Bengal, Kerala, Goa, and the North East. At ZEE5, we have seen encouraging engagement through our collaborations around properties such as the Calcutta Football League and Bengal Super League, which reinforced the appetite for accessible and locally relevant football content amongst Indian audiences. Similarly, with properties like ILT20 and the UP Kabaddi League, our larger focus is on building a more inclusive and future-ready sports ecosystem that caters to varied audience interests across regions and languages. At ZEE5 and Unite8 Sports, we see the opportunity not just in broadcasting marquee events, but in creating immersive, culturally resonant, and year-round sports experiences that connect more deeply with evolving consumer preferences across India.

Q: The time zone has been highlighted as a major roadblock for broadcasters. There are "Indian football fans", and then there are "football fans in India". Personally, it feels like it is the latter demographic that will stay up to watch. Did you conduct a market size study around this audience before finalising pricing and expectations?

The FIFA World Cup is one of the few global sporting events where audience behaviour tends to go beyond traditional viewing patterns and time-zone limitations. Across previous editions as well, football fans in India have consistently demonstrated a willingness to stay engaged despite late-night schedules because the tournament carries a very strong emotional and cultural connection. At ZEE5 and Unite8 Sports, we see India's football audience as far more evolved and layered today. There are deeply passionate football communities across markets such as West Bengal, Kerala, Goa, and the North East, whilst at the same time a younger and digitally connected audience increasingly follows global football through leagues, creators, social media, and streaming platforms. The larger objective for us has been to make the FIFA World Cup experience more accessible and inclusive through multilingual coverage, digital-first experiences, and pricing that allows wider participation. We believe the tournament has the ability to attract both core football followers and a much larger audience that engages with the World Cup as a global cultural moment.

Q: How big a role did the 2030 World Cup, which is to be co-hosted by Spain, play in your decision? Additionally, what do you plan to achieve with the smaller, supplementary FIFA events included in the deal?

For us, this partnership is part of a much larger and long-term vision around Zee's broader sports growth strategy into the sports ecosystem. The FIFA World Cup is naturally one of the biggest global sporting properties, but our approach has never been limited to a single tournament cycle or event window. The broader FIFA portfolio gives us the opportunity to build sustained engagement with football audiences over a longer period of time, whilst creating deeper and more consistent fan conversations across platforms. These supplementary events help keep audiences connected to the sport beyond the marquee World Cup moments and allow us to engage younger and emerging football communities across India. The larger ambition is to build a more future-ready and immersive sports ecosystem by combining globally celebrated properties with accessible, multilingual, and digital-first experiences for audiences across regions and markets.

Q: Which other events or sports feature in your long-term roadmap?

Our larger vision at ZEE5 and Unite8 Sports is to build a diversified and future-ready sports portfolio that caters to evolving audience interests across India. Alongside global football properties like FIFA, we are also expanding our presence across cricket and regional sports ecosystems through properties such as the ILT20, Bengal Super League, UP Kabaddi League, and the recently acquired broadcast rights for India's tour of Zimbabwe on Unite8 Sports. The Zimbabwe series is particularly significant as it strengthens our cricket offering with a premium international property featuring Team India, whilst further scaling Unite8 Sports as a destination for high-quality live sports experiences across television and digital platforms. The broader focus is on creating a balanced sports ecosystem that combines global scale, strong regional affinity, and immersive viewing experiences for audiences across markets and languages.

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