The wait for Indian football fans is finally over. FIFA has tied up with Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. for the biggest football event, the FIFA For 2026 World Cup. Zee has also partnered with FIFA to broadcast 39 global football events in India, including the FIFA World Cup 2030, as well as the FIFA Women's World Cup 2027.
Earlier, NDTV sources said that the deal valued at approximately $30-35 million but the negotiations were unsuccessful.
As part of the deal, Zee will launch four dedicated sports channels aimed at expanding football's reach among Indian audiences. "Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. (‘Z') is implementing firm steps to further enhance its presence across the sports broadcasting ecosystem by announcing the launch of Unite8 Sports," the company confirmed in an exchange filing on Tuesday.
As part of its brand new offering in the sports broadcasting segment, ZEE will launch Unite8 Sports 1, Unite8 Sports 1 HD in Hindi and Unite8 Sports 2, Unite8 Sports 2 HD in English. All these channels will cater to sports content.
"The channels will offer the best of action across football, kabaddi, cricket, badminton, wrestling, boxing and combat sports amongst others," the company said.
ALSO READ: Zee Entertainment Confirms World Cup Talks With FIFA; To Launch 4 Sports Channels
The World Cup kicks off on June 11 with matches in Mexico City and Guadalajara, Mexico. The first match at the roughly 82,000-seat MetLife Stadium -- temporarily renamed New York New Jersey Stadium for the event -- pits Brazil and Morocco on June 13.
Meanwhile, the Indian men's national team will play two friendly matches against Tajikistan on June 5 and 9 in Hisor, Tajikistan, during the FIFA international match window, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) said on Tuesday.
ALSO READ: Zee Entertainment Shares Rally 6% ON FIFA Partnership For World Cup 2026
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