Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (Zee) has been awarded the exclusive broadcast, streaming, and distribution rights for a substantial portfolio of 39 FIFA competitions in India. This significant deal spans from 2026 to 2034, encompassing major tournaments like the FIFA World Cup 2026™, FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027™, and FIFA World Cup 2030™. Zee will leverage its linear TV channels and digital platform, Zee5, to deliver comprehensive, multi-lingual coverage across men’s, women’s, and youth events.
Zee Secures Exclusive FIFA Broadcast Rights for India
Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (Zee) has announced a significant achievement, securing the rights to broadcast, stream, and distribute a comprehensive portfolio of 39 FIFA competitions within India. This landmark agreement is set to commence in 2026 and extend through 2034, a period of eight years. The deal prominently features the highly anticipated tournaments such as the FIFA World Cup 2026™, the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027™, and the FIFA World Cup 2030™.
Comprehensive Coverage Across Platforms
Under the terms of this agreement, Zee will deliver extensive coverage of these 39 FIFA events through its established linear television channels, including UNITE8 Sports, and its robust digital platform, Zee5. The coverage will be available in multiple languages, catering to a diverse audience across India. This initiative will span a wide array of competitions, including men’s, women’s, and youth tournaments, ensuring that fans have access to all major footballing action.
Expanded FIFA Event Portfolio
The scope of this deal includes various prestigious FIFA tournaments beyond the flagship World Cups. Fans can look forward to coverage of the FIFA U-17 World Cup™, FIFA U-20 World Cup™, FIFA Women’s U-17 World Cup™, FIFA Women’s U-20 World Cup™, FIFA Futsal World Cups, and the FIFA Intercontinental Cup™. Additionally, the agreement encompasses related documentary content, offering a richer fan experience.
International Entity and Indian Territory Distribution
The rights were awarded by the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), an international entity. The distribution and broadcast activities under this agreement are exclusively for the Indian Territory. This strategic move underscores Zee’s commitment to expanding its sports broadcasting portfolio and strengthening its position in the Indian media landscape.
Agreement Timeline and Financials
The agreement is officially effective from 2026 and will conclude in 2034, covering all 39 FIFA competitions scheduled within this period. The financial consideration for this multi-year deal is structured as a multi-tournament, multi-year rights fee. This fee will be payable over the contract period and covers broadcast, digital streaming, and distribution rights for all the aforementioned FIFA competitions across both linear television and digital platforms in India. The specific financial terms of the agreement have been deemed business-sensitive and are therefore confidential.
No Promoter Interest or Related Party Transactions
It has been confirmed that there is no interest from the promoter, promoter group, or group companies of Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited in the entity that awarded the order (FIFA). Furthermore, the order(s)/contract(s) do not fall within the scope of related party transactions. FIFA has been identified as an independent international entity with no affiliation to the promoters, promoter group, or group companies of Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited, ensuring the transaction is conducted at an arm’s length basis.
Source: BSE
