OFFICIAL: Zee Entertainment’s Unite8 Sports to telecast FIFA World Cup in India

The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be played in the USA, Canada and Mexico. (Getty Images) New Delhi: Now it’s official, the 2026 FIFA World Cup – and upcoming editions – will be broadcast on Zee Entertainment Enterprise Limited’s (ZEEL) newly launched linear TV channels Unite8 Sports in India. The 48-team competition will also be available for live telecast on Zee5. The FIFA World Cup starts on June 11 and will be played in the USA, Mexico and Canada.The company has announced that it will broadcast the 2026 and 2030 FIFA World Cups, the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup and other key FIFA events until 2034, including the content of the documentary series in the Indian market.In addition to the FIFA World Cup (Men’s and Women’s), “Z” will also showcase the U-17 World Cup, U-17 Women’s World Cup, U-20 World Cup, U-20 Women’s World Cup, Futsal World Cup, Women’s Futsal World Cup and Intercontinental Cups.“We are excited to bring one of the biggest sporting spectacles in the world to Indian audiences. Football cuts across regions and demographics and the investment in acquiring media rights and launching dedicated sports channels reflects our clear belief in its long-term potential,” said ZEEL CEO Punit Goenka.“Our approach has been to invest in properties where we see current relevance and potential for future growth. Our partnership with FIFA will allow us to unlock the true value of the sport in line with our sharp focus on growth and profitability, while enhancing the excitement of the game for every fan,” he continued. As reported by TimesofIndia.com, ZEEL entered the picture after FIFA and JioStar failed to agree on the pricing of current and future tournaments.As ZEEL assembled its entertainment channels, it introduced Unite8 Sports 1, Unite8 Sports 1 HD in Hindi, Unite8 Sports 2 and Unite8 Sports 2 HD in English. With Bengal Super League, UP Kabaddi League and ILT20 already in their portfolio, FIFA World Cup 2026 will only strengthen the package. In a media note, the company said the channels will telecast football, cricket, kabaddi, badminton, wrestling and combat sports.The announcement of the 2026 World Cup broadcast rights comes less than two weeks before the tournament kicks off with Mexico taking on South Africa in Mexico City. The game, like most others, will start at midnight for the Indian audience. The demanding time zone has been one of the main obstacles to the lack of interest from Indian broadcasters. The 2022 FIFA World Cup, which is being played in Qatar in a favorable time zone, was acquired by Viacom18, now part of JioStar, for $62 million.FIFA was reportedly seeking $100 million from the India broadcast rights deal, but was willing to drop to $60 million. China Media Group, which picked up the rights in China, reportedly paid $62 million for the upcoming release.However, JioStar has reportedly valued the 2026 FIFA World Cup rights at $20 million, a figure that is not acceptable to FIFA.ZEEL announced its intention to re-enter the sports broadcasting sector last year – eight years after it sold its channels to Culver Max Entertainment Private Limited (the name of Sony Pictures Networks India).ZEEL first entered the sports broadcasting sector in 2005 with Zee Sports. A year later, it expanded with the acquisition of Ten Sports.