Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. (Z) announced plans to set up four dedicated sports channels to build a linear sports bouquet ‘Unite8 Sports’ for the broadcast of key events across football, kabaddi, cricket, badminton and other sports. The company also hinted at broadcasting the FIFA World Cup 2026.
Z listed four dedicated sports channels: Unite8 Sports 1, Unite8 Sports 1 HD in Hindi and Unite8 Sports 2, Unite8 Sports 2 HD in English. The channels will offer the best of action across football, kabaddi, cricket, badminton, wrestling, boxing and combat sports, among others. Applications for the launch of these channels have been submitted to create a distinct offering across Z’s linear portfolio.
With its eyes building a competitive sports content offering, Z said that it “is also in talks with Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) to broadcast and stream the FIFA World Cup 2026 matches in India.”
Earlier, Reliance Jio’s entertainment arm JioStar had offered $20-25 million for the rights to two World Cups, against FIFA’s revised ask of $35 million.
Bavesh Janavlekar, who has managed the Marathi movies cluster at Z, will assume additional charge as Chief Business Officer of Unite8 Sports channels. Speaking about the development, Janavlekar said, “In a vast country like India, there is rising demand for sports that 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 capitalise on emerging growth opportunities.”
Published on May 27, 2026