Zee launches Unite8 Sports channels to expand sports play

MUMBAI: Zee is stepping onto a bigger playing field and this time, the scoreboard reads football, kabaddi, cricket, combat sports and a serious long-term bet on live entertainment. Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. has announced the launch of Unite8 Sports, a dedicated sports broadcasting portfolio aimed at strengthening its presence in India’s rapidly growing live sports ecosystem. As part of the expansion, the company plans to roll out four dedicated sports channels Unite8 Sports 1 and Unite8 Sports 1 HD in Hindi, alongside Unite8 Sports 2 and Unite8 Sports 2 HD in English targeting audiences across multiple sporting formats and language preferences.

The move marks a sharper pivot by Zee towards sports broadcasting after years of leveraging marquee sporting events across its entertainment network to drive reach and audience engagement.

Now, the broadcaster wants its own dedicated sports lane.

The upcoming channels will carry a mix of football, kabaddi, cricket, badminton, wrestling, boxing and combat sports, among other formats, as Zee attempts to build a more diversified and scalable content portfolio within the high-growth sports segment.

Importantly, the expansion also reflects how live sports continues to remain one of the few appointment-viewing categories still commanding mass audiences in an increasingly fragmented entertainment landscape.

“In a vast country like India, there is rising demand for sports which are global in appeal yet rooted within the heartland,” said Bavesh Janavlekar, who has now taken additional charge as Chief Business Officer of the Unite8 Sports channels.

Janavlekar, who previously managed Zee’s Marathi movies cluster across both linear and studio businesses, will now lead the broadcaster’s next phase of sports expansion.

He noted that sports consumption in India is accelerating rapidly, driven by increasing appetite for live content and growing audience affinity across multiple sporting categories.

The launch of Unite8 Sports also comes amid intensifying competition in India’s sports broadcasting market, where legacy television players and streaming giants are aggressively battling for rights, reach and younger audiences.

Zee appears to be positioning Unite8 Sports as both a content and brand play creating a standalone sports identity while broadening its overall entertainment ecosystem. And the ambitions may already stretch beyond domestic tournaments.

The company confirmed it is currently in discussions with FIFA regarding the broadcast and streaming rights for the FIFA World Cup 2026 in India, signalling its intent to secure globally recognised marquee properties as part of the new portfolio. If successful, the move could significantly strengthen Zee’s positioning in premium international sports broadcasting at a time when football viewership in India continues to steadily rise.

The broadcaster has already submitted the requisite applications for the launch of the channels.

Beyond audience growth, the strategy also reflects a broader industry reality: sports remains one of the few genres capable of consistently delivering large-scale, real-time engagement across both television and digital platforms. 

For broadcasters, that makes live sports more than content, it is audience retention, advertising currency and cultural relevance rolled into one. And with Unite8 Sports, Zee is making it clear that it wants a bigger share of that game.