The Crossbill Sports Desk
Indian football fans will now be able to watch the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the biggest sporting event on the planet, after Zee Entertainment Enterprises secured broadcasting rights for the tournament, ending months of uncertainty over whether the event would be available in the country.
The announcement comes after prolonged negotiations and concerns that no broadcaster was willing to meet FIFA’s asking price for the rights.
The possibility of Indian viewers missing the tournament had emerged after JioStar, which broadcast the previous World Cup, reportedly declined to pay the fee sought by FIFA.
Industry reports suggested that concerns over revenue generation played a role, as match timings suited to audiences in the Americas are expected to be less favourable for Indian viewers. Hopes that public broadcaster Doordarshan might step in were also dashed after it informed the Delhi High Court that securing commercial rights for the event was not its responsibility.
According to Reuters, FIFA initially sought around $100 million for the combined broadcast rights of the 2026 and 2030 World Cups. The amount was later reportedly reduced to about $60 million after limited interest from broadcasters. Reports indicated that JioStar was prepared to offer only $20 million, while another major contender, Sony Group Corporation, had withdrawn from the bidding process. The financial details of the agreement eventually reached with Zee have not been disclosed.
The announcement was welcomed by investors, with shares of Zee rising nearly 7% following the news. Under the agreement, coverage of the tournament will begin with the FIFA World Cup 2026 opener on June 11. Matches will be aired on four newly launched sports channels — Unite8 Sports 1 and Unite8 Sports 1 HD in Hindi, and Unite8 Sports 2 and Unite8 Sports 2 HD in English. The games will also be available on Zee’s streaming platform, ZEE5.
“We are excited to bring one of the world’s biggest sporting spectacles to Indian audiences,” Punit Goenka is reported to have 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 agreement extends far beyond the 2026 World Cup and includes rights to 39 FIFA events through 2034, along with documentary content.
According to Variety, the package covers multiple youth and futsal competitions, including the FIFA Men’s and Women’s U-17 World Cups, U-20 World Cups, FIFA Futsal World Cups and the FIFA Intercontinental Cup through 2030.
The 2026 tournament, to be hosted jointly by United States, Canada and Mexico, will be the largest World Cup in history, featuring 48 participating nations. Among the qualified teams is Iran, though reports have highlighted concerns surrounding the team’s participation in the United States, leading to arrangements for its matches to be hosted in Mexico.
The tournament will once again take place without two of the world’s most populous nations, as both India and China failed to qualify for the expanded competition.
The announcement comes after prolonged negotiations and concerns that no broadcaster was willing to meet FIFA’s asking price for the rights.
The possibility of Indian viewers missing the tournament had emerged after JioStar, which broadcast the previous World Cup, reportedly declined to pay the fee sought by FIFA.
Industry reports suggested that concerns over revenue generation played a role, as match timings suited to audiences in the Americas are expected to be less favourable for Indian viewers. Hopes that public broadcaster Doordarshan might step in were also dashed after it informed the Delhi High Court that securing commercial rights for the event was not its responsibility.
According to Reuters, FIFA initially sought around $100 million for the combined broadcast rights of the 2026 and 2030 World Cups. The amount was later reportedly reduced to about $60 million after limited interest from broadcasters. Reports indicated that JioStar was prepared to offer only $20 million, while another major contender, Sony Group Corporation, had withdrawn from the bidding process. The financial details of the agreement eventually reached with Zee have not been disclosed.
The announcement was welcomed by investors, with shares of Zee rising nearly 7% following the news. Under the agreement, coverage of the tournament will begin with the FIFA World Cup 2026 opener on June 11. Matches will be aired on four newly launched sports channels — Unite8 Sports 1 and Unite8 Sports 1 HD in Hindi, and Unite8 Sports 2 and Unite8 Sports 2 HD in English. The games will also be available on Zee’s streaming platform, ZEE5.
“We are excited to bring one of the world’s biggest sporting spectacles to Indian audiences,” Punit Goenka is reported to have 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 agreement extends far beyond the 2026 World Cup and includes rights to 39 FIFA events through 2034, along with documentary content.
According to Variety, the package covers multiple youth and futsal competitions, including the FIFA Men’s and Women’s U-17 World Cups, U-20 World Cups, FIFA Futsal World Cups and the FIFA Intercontinental Cup through 2030.
The 2026 tournament, to be hosted jointly by United States, Canada and Mexico, will be the largest World Cup in history, featuring 48 participating nations. Among the qualified teams is Iran, though reports have highlighted concerns surrounding the team’s participation in the United States, leading to arrangements for its matches to be hosted in Mexico.
The tournament will once again take place without two of the world’s most populous nations, as both India and China failed to qualify for the expanded competition.
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