Zee Launches Unite8 Sports, Pursues 2026 World Cup Rights
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- Zee Entertainment launched a four‑channel linear sports portfolio called Unite8 Sports, filing regulatory applications for the new channels.
- Unite8 Sports will launch two language pairs—Unite8 Sports 1 (Hindi) and Unite8 Sports 2 (English)—each with HD versions, broadcasting soccer, cricket, kabaddi, badminton, wrestling, boxing and other sports.
- Bavesh Janavlekar was appointed chief business officer of Unite8 Sports, adding to his role overseeing Zee’s Marathi-language movies cluster.
- Zee is in talks with FIFA to secure broadcast and streaming rights for the 2026 World Cup in India, a deal still unresolved weeks before the tournament.
- FIFA reduced its asking price for Indian broadcast rights from $100 million to about $60 million, while JioStar offered $20 million and Sony declined to bid, leaving negotiations deadlocked.
Why it matters: Zee’s new sports channels give it a dedicated platform to chase high‑value live events, but the stalled FIFA talks—FIFA’s $60 million floor versus JioStar’s $20 million offer and Sony’s non‑bid—mean India’s broadcasters currently lack a clear domestic rights holder for the 2026 World Cup, leaving viewers uncertain about coverage.
