India’s Zee Entertainment Enterprises has announced a four-channel linear sports portfolio under the Unite8 Sports banner and confirmed it is in talks with FIFA over broadcast and streaming rights for the 2026 Football World Cup in India, which kicks off on June 11.
The new portfolio consists of Unite8 Sports 1 and Unite8 Sports 1 HD in Hindi and Unite8 Sports 2 and Unite8 Sports 2 HD in English. These channels broadcast martial arts such as football, cricket, kabaddi, badminton, wrestling, and boxing. The company said a regulatory application for the launch has been submitted.
Bhavesh Janavlekar, who has overseen Zee’s Marathi film cluster across linear and studio operations, will take on an additional role as Chief Business Officer of Unite 8 Sports.
“In a vast country like India, there is a growing demand for sports that have global appeal but are centrally rooted.Increasing demand for live, subscription-based content and viewer affinity for multiple sports formats are rapidly accelerating sports consumption across the country. “Building a strong presence in a four-channel linear ecosystem is consistent with our broader strategy to diversify our content portfolio and build a scalable, value-creating business that leverages new growth opportunities,” said Janavlekar.
Gee’s FIFA approach arrives as the rights to broadcast the Soccer World Cup in India remain unresolved weeks before the tournament begins. FIFA had initially asked for $100 million in broadcast rights fees for the 2026 and 2030 World Cups to be held in India, but later reduced its request to about $60 million, according to Reuters. Geostar, India’s largest platform, offered $20 million in negotiations, but this was far short of FIFA’s revised minimum amount, and negotiations remain at an impasse. Sony held separate discussions, but ultimately chose not to make a bid. FIFA has signed agreements with broadcasters in more than 180 regions around the world.
The tournament will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico in 16 cities and will run from June 11th to July 19th.
Zee has so far been broadcasting live sports across its general entertainment channels. A dedicated four-channel slate marks a step towards an independent linear sports business.
