Good News For Football Fans! Zee Finally Secures FIFA World Cup 2026 Rights In India

The FIFA World Cup 2026 will be streamed and telecasted in India after Zee sealed a multi-year agreement with the world body. After long negotiations, Zee will now telecast FIFA tournaments until 2034. The broadcaster had recently launched 7 Sports channels and the announcement comes as a massive respite to Indian football fans.

Zee has emerged a potential late entrant in the bid for FIFA World Cup 2026 rights. Zee were the sole negotiator after JioHotstar held onto its valuation of $20 million. As per Reuters, the deal has been signed until 2034, allowing Zee to broadcast 39 FIFA events and the World Cup 2026.

Zee to fans' rescue

The broadcast deal comes just 10 days ‌before ⁠the tournament kicks off on June 11 across the United States, Canada and Mexico. India were the last major market to secure a broadcast deal. More than 90% games will be played between 12:00 AM to 6:00 AM. The previous World Cup rights were bought for $60 million, with JioHotstar failing to recover even half of the amount.

The financial details of FIFA's agreement with Zee are yet to be disclosed. Initially, FIFA were seeking $100 million for the combined rights of the 2026 and 2030 World Cup before reducing it to $60 million. Zee were reportedly offering in the $35 million range. The agreement also includes events for four more years, meaning the figures are likely to vary.

Where to watch FIFA World Cup 2026 in India?

In order to ensure an engaging and unmatched viewing experience for sports fans across the Nation, the Company has also announced the launch of 4 dedicated sports channels namely, Unite8 Sports 1, Unite8 Sports 1 HD, Unite8 Sports 2, and Unite8 Sports 2 HD. The investment will enable a multi-fold advantage to FIFA’s flagship global properties, ensuring that the matches not only reach across the length, but also the depth of the Nation.

The Company’s digital entertainment platform – Zee 5, will also ensure that football aficionados stay tuned to all the high-octane action, delivering a LIVE immersive viewing experience in a language of their choice.