Zee enters talks with FIFA for India World Cup rights
Zee Entertainment has opened talks with FIFA to secure India’s broadcast and streaming rights for the 2026 World Cup as the rights package remains unresolved weeks before kick-off.
Zee Entertainment has confirmed it is in discussions with FIFA to stream and broadcast the FIFA World Cup 2026 in India, stepping into a process that has left the tournament without a confirmed domestic rights partner with less than a month to go.The development matters because India remains a material audience market for FIFA, while broadcasters have been cautious on pricing and advertising economics given the North America time zone and the late-night schedule for Indian viewers.Zee’s move follows a prolonged deadlock between FIFA and the Reliance-backed Reliance-Disney joint venture, which has been in talks for the package but has not agreed terms.FIFA had initially sought a much higher valuation for the India rights covering the 2026 and 2030 men’s tournaments, and negotiations have centred on closing the gap between FIFA’s expectations and the level Indian platforms have been willing to underwrite.Sony also held talks but did not proceed with an offer, leaving FIFA’s sales team still working to land a partner for one of the last major unresolved markets this close to the opening match.Zee disclosed the talks alongside the launch of Unite8 Sports, a new sports channel portfolio designed to strengthen its sports proposition, signalling the company is prepared to rebuild a larger position in live sport distribution if it can land a global tentpole property.The World Cup begins on June 11 in Mexico City and runs until July 19 across the United States, Canada and Mexico, with India’s rights decision now affecting everything from local ad sales and sponsorship packaging to marketing lead times and production planning.A deal would give Zee a high-volume, high-attention event that can anchor channel distribution negotiations and streaming acquisition, while FIFA would remove the risk of large-scale audience disruption in a market that has delivered meaningful global reach in past World Cup cycles.The next phase is whether Zee and FIFA can agree a structure that works commercially for an Indian broadcaster while meeting FIFA’s pricing and distribution requirements in time for tournament delivery.