Zee Entertainment appoints Aayush Khanna as VP – programming

MUMBAI: Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited has appointed Aayush Khanna as vice president, programming, strengthening its leadership team as it gears up for the broadcast of the FIFA World Cup 2026 in India.

Khanna announced the move on LinkedIn, describing the appointment as the start of a “new innings” and comparing the opportunity to being brought on during extra time of a major final.

His arrival comes at a pivotal moment for Zee’s sports ambitions. With the network having secured Indian broadcast rights for the FIFA World Cup 2026, the company faces the challenge of delivering one of the world’s largest sporting spectacles within a compressed preparation timeline.

In his announcement, Khanna said joining the organisation at this stage brings both excitement and responsibility, highlighting the scale of the operational and creative task ahead.

“To my new team, the tactics board is ready. Time to block out the noise, trust the game plan, and make history. Let’s play!” he wrote.

Khanna joins Zee after more than 13 years at Sony Pictures Networks India, where he held a series of senior programming and production roles. Most recently, he served as associate creative director (AVP), following stints as supervising producer, senior producer, senior executive producer and executive producer.

Over the course of his tenure, he played a key role in shaping sports broadcast programming and production initiatives, building extensive experience in live sports content, storytelling and audience engagement.

Before joining Sony, Khanna worked as a producer-director at Greymatter Entertainment and spent over four years at Neo Sports Broadcast, where he served as associate producer. His career in sports media now spans nearly two decades.

An alumnus of Symbiosis International University, Khanna holds a master’s degree in cinematography and film/video production, a background that has helped shape his blend of creative and programming expertise.

His appointment underscores Zee’s intent to strengthen its sports content and programming capabilities ahead of a landmark year for football broadcasting in India. With the countdown to the FIFA World Cup already underway, Khanna’s experience in sports production and content strategy is expected to play a key role in helping the network deliver a tournament worthy of the world’s biggest game.