India‘s Zee Entertainment Enterprises has unveiled a four-channel linear sports portfolio under the Unite8 Sports banner and confirmed it is in discussions with FIFA over broadcast and streaming rights to the 2026 soccer World Cup for India, with the tournament set to kick off 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. The channels will carry soccer, cricket, kabaddi, badminton, wrestling and combat sports including boxing, among other disciplines. The company said regulatory applications for the launches have been filed.
Bavesh Janavlekar, who has overseen Zee’s Marathi-language movies cluster across linear and studio operations, will take on an additional role as chief business officer of Unite8 Sports.
“In a vast country like India, there is rising demand for sports which are global in appeal yet rooted within the heartland. Sports consumption across the country is accelerating rapidly, driven by an increasing demand for live, appointment-based content and rising audience affinity for multiple sporting formats. Building a robust presence in the linear ecosystem with four channels aligns with our broader strategy of diversifying the content portfolio and building scalable, value-accretive businesses that capitalize on emerging growth opportunities,” Janavlekar said.
Zee’s FIFA approach arrives as the soccer World Cup broadcast rights for India remain unresolved weeks before the tournament begins. FIFA had initially sought $100 million for broadcast rights covering the 2026 and 2030 World Cups in India before reducing its ask to approximately $60 million, according to Reuters. India’s largest platform JioStar put $20 million on the table – well short of FIFA’s revised floor – leaving those negotiations deadlocked. Sony held separate discussions but ultimately chose not to submit a bid. FIFA has finalized deals with broadcasters in more than 180 territories globally.
The tournament, jointly hosted by the U.S., Canada and Mexico across 16 cities, runs June 11 to July 19.
Zee has historically carried live sport across its general entertainment channels; the dedicated four-channel slate marks a step toward a standalone linear sports business.
