Last Updated:
Zee has secured exclusive FIFA broadcast rights in India through 2034, including the 2026 and 2030 World Cups, with matches airing on its sports channels and ZEE5.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada (Getty Images)
Indian football fans now know where they will be watching the next two FIFA World Cups.
Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL) has officially acquired the Indian broadcast rights for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and a host of other FIFA competitions through 2034, positioning itself as the country’s new destination for international football.
The announcement means the expanded 48-team FIFA World Cup in 2026, to be hosted across the United States, Mexico and Canada, will be televised on Zee’s newly launched Unite8 Sports channels and streamed live on ZEE5.
More Than Just The World Cup
The deal extends well beyond the men’s flagship tournament.
In addition to the 2026 and 2030 FIFA World Cups, Zee will also broadcast the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup and several major FIFA youth and futsal competitions over the next decade.
The package includes rights to the FIFA Men’s U-17 World Cup, FIFA Women’s U-17 World Cup, FIFA Men’s U-20 World Cup, FIFA Women’s U-20 World Cup, FIFA Futsal World Cups and the FIFA Intercontinental Cup.
The agreement runs until 2034, making it one of the most significant football rights acquisitions in the Indian market in recent years.
Zee’s Big Football Bet
Commenting on the partnership, Zee Entertainment CEO Punit Goenka described football as a sport with enormous growth potential in India.
“We are excited to bring one of the world’s biggest sporting spectacles to Indian audiences,” Goenka said.
“Football cuts across regions and demographics, and the investments in garnering the media rights and launching dedicated sports channels reflect our clear belief in its long-term potential.”
He added that the partnership would help accelerate football’s growth in India while engaging a new generation of fans.
A Challenging But Valuable Property
The announcement comes less than two weeks before the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which kicks off on June 11 with hosts Mexico facing South Africa in Mexico City.
Unlike the Qatar World Cup in 2022, which enjoyed favourable viewing hours for Indian audiences, the North American tournament will largely take place overnight due to time-zone differences. That factor had reportedly made several broadcasters cautious about investing heavily in the rights.
The 2022 FIFA World Cup rights in India were held by Viacom18, now part of JioStar, in a deal reportedly worth around $62 million.
Reports suggested FIFA initially sought close to $100 million for the Indian rights package before lowering expectations. China Media Group is believed to have paid around $62 million for the tournament rights in China.
Read More
Source link
[ad_3]
