It’s official: Zee lands deal to telecast FIFA World Cup 2026 in India

The suspense over Indian football fans being able to watch the 2026 FIFA World Cup live finally ended on Monday, 1 June, with Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd saying it has reached a deal with FIFA to broadcast 39 global football events, including the World Cup this year as well as the 2030 edition, along with the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

The matches will air on the group's newly launched Unite8 Sports channels — Unite8 Sports 1, Unite8 Sports 1 HD, Unite8 Sports 2, and Unite8 Sports 2 HD, and will be streamed on Zee5. The deal is believed to be valued at around $35 million, though there is no mention of the amount in Zee’s official statement. FIFA had initially quoted close to $100 million for rights to the 2026 and 2030 editions combined.

“The Indian market is of strategic importance for FIFA as it displays immense potential driven by a young and passionate audience. We believe the extensive broadcast and digital distribution ecosystem of ‘Z’ coupled with their deep understanding of local viewers and multi-platform capabilities will play a pivotal role in expanding the reach of football with fans across every part of India,” FIFA chief business officer Romy Gai is quoted as saying in the statement.

The other tournaments that will air on Zee include the FIFA Men’s U-17 World Cup (2026-34), FIFA Women’s U-17 World Cup (2026-34), FIFA U-20 Men’s World Cup (2027, 2029, 2031 and 2033), FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup (2026, 2028, 2030, 2032 and 2034), FIFA Futsal Men’s World Cup (2028 and 2032), FIFA Futsal Women’s World Cup (2029 and 2033), FIFA Women’s World Cup (2027) and FIFA Intercontinental Cup (2026-30).

The announcement ends months of uncertainty around the telecast of the tournament in India, the last major market for which FIFA was yet to secure broadcasting rights. It also comes just over two weeks after China’s CCTV announced a deal to broadcast the World Cup on the mainland.

The uncertainty was primarily owing to Jio Star playing hardball, pointing out that match timings were proving a dampener in garnering advertising revenue. Of the 104 matches scheduled across the USA, Canada and Mexico, nearly 90 per cent will be played between midnight and 6.00 am IST — a difficult slot for advertisers, especially with India not featuring in the tournament.