Zee Entertainment Enterprises has secured Indian broadcast and streaming rights to 39 FIFA soccer events spanning 2026 to 2034, including the FIFA World Cup 2026, FIFA World Cup 2030 and FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027, the company revealed Monday.
The deal, the first between Zee and FIFA, also encompasses a portfolio of age-group and futsal tournaments across both the men’s and women’s game, as well as documentary series tied to each property. Events covered include the FIFA Men’s U-17 World Cup and FIFA Women’s U-17 World Cup editions from 2026 through 2034, 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.
Coverage begins June 11 with the FIFA World Cup 2026 opener, broadcast 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 — as well as Zee’s streaming platform ZEE5.
“We are excited to bring one of the world’s biggest sporting spectacles to Indian audiences,” Punit Goenka, CEO of Zee Entertainment Enterprises, 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.”
“The Indian market is of strategic importance for FIFA as it displays immense potential driven by a young and passionate audience,” Romy Gai, FIFA’s chief business officer, added.
The deal marks a significant development in what had been a protracted rights negotiation in India. As Variety previously reported, FIFA had initially sought $100 million for broadcast rights covering the 2026 and 2030 tournaments before revising its ask to approximately $60 million; India’s largest platform JioStar had tabled $20 million, and Sony had withdrawn from the process. Financial terms of the current deal were not disclosed.
“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,” Mukund Galgali, Zee’s deputy CEO and CFO, said.
Zee’s Unite8 Sports portfolio already carries cricket, kabaddi, badminton, wrestling and combat sports alongside football. The FIFA partnership extends the company’s footprint in a rights market historically dominated by cricket, with the 2026 World Cup serving as its biggest early test.