FIFA World Cup 2026 : India is a very sports loving country. The IPL season has just ended and now the FIFA World Cup is starting soon. So this is good news for sports lovers. Recently, Zee Entertainment announced on Monday that it has acquired the broadcast and streaming rights of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in India. The tournament will start on June 11, 2026 in the countries of USA, Canada and Mexico. This edition of the World Cup will be grander than ever, with 48 teams participating. The matches of the tournament will be telecast on Zee’s new sports channel ‘Unite8 Sports’, while digital viewers can watch live telecast of the matches on ‘Zee5’. This deal is considered to be a significant milestone in the company’s foray into the sports sector.
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Excitement in the stock market after the announcement
As soon as the news of the partnership with FIFA broke, investors started buying shares of Zee Entertainment. On Monday, the company’s share price rose about 6.4 percent in early trading. Although some profit-booking was seen in the second half of the session, the share movement remained strong. By afternoon, the stock was trading at ₹98.51, a gain of about 5.8 percent. According to market experts, acquiring the broadcasting rights of major sporting events is a great opportunity for media companies to increase both advertising revenue and viewership.
Covering several major tournaments including the 2030 World Cup
The deal is not limited to the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Zee has also secured the broadcast rights for the 2030 FIFA World Cup, as well as several international tournaments in the men’s, women’s and youth groups. This ensures that the company will continue to benefit from major football tournaments in the years to come. This long-term partnership can establish Zee as a leading and significant player in the field of football broadcasting in India.
Why is India an important market for FIFA?
FIFA’s Chief Business Officer, Romi Gai, described India as a ‘strategically important market’. He noted that India’s huge population of young and enthusiastic spectators provides an immense opportunity for the growth of football. According to FIFA data, during the 2022 FIFA World Cup held in Qatar, India accounted for 2.9 percent of the total global television audience. As a result, India ranked among the top participating nations, second only to China. In India, the tournament was watched by around 745 million viewers across television and digital platforms combined; Nearly 84 million people watched the matches on television alone. Precisely for this reason, FIFA considers India as one of its most important and fastest growing markets.
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