“Beyond Broadcast: Why Zee 5 Sees FIFA as a Catalyst for Football’s Next Growth Phase in India”

Football’s growing popularity in India is creating new opportunities for broadcasters, brands and rights holders looking to engage one of the world’s largest sports audiences. Following its landmark acquisition of FIFA rights in India, Zee 5 is positioning itself not merely as a broadcaster of global football but as a long-term stakeholder in the sport’s development ecosystem.

In this interview with iSportConnect’s Taruka Srivastav, Bavesh Janavlekar, Chief Business Officer, Unite8 Sports at Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd., discusses how the FIFA World Cup can reshape India’s sports streaming landscape, the commercial opportunities emerging from football’s rapid growth, and why Zee 5’s eight-year partnership with FIFA is designed to extend far beyond viewership metrics. He also outlines the company’s ambitious vision of using football content to drive grassroots participation and contribute to India’s long-term World Cup aspirations.

With Zee 5 securing the FIFA World Cup rights for India, how do you see the tournament reshaping the country’s sports streaming landscape?

The FIFA World Cup represents a significant milestone in the evolution of India’s sports streaming ecosystem. Football today is no longer a niche sport and already attracts over 300 million viewers across the country. Through our partnership with FIFA, we are not just bringing a marquee global sporting event to audiences; we are building a long-term football ecosystem in India.

With 39 FIFA events over the next eight years, we are creating a consistent platform for audience growth, deeper engagement and sustained advertiser interest. The FIFA World Cup serves as the anchor property around which we are structuring a broader sports portfolio, helping establish football as a major growth engine for the future.

What makes our approach distinctive is that every Zee 5 subscriber watching football becomes a participant in the growth of the sport. We have committed 15% of Zee 5’s football-related subscription revenues towards identifying, training and uplifting young football talent from every corner of the country. Through this initiative, subscribers are not merely consuming content; they are contributing towards building the future of Indian football.

What commercial opportunities does a property as large as the FIFA World Cup create for broadcasters and brand partners in India?

The FIFA World Cup offers brands a unique opportunity to engage with highly passionate and deeply invested audiences at scale. We are witnessing strong interest from advertisers across categories. What makes the proposition particularly compelling is our ability to offer integrated solutions across both linear television and digital platforms, complemented by social engagement, fan experiences and on-ground activations.

For brands, it is not just about visibility during matches but about participating in a larger football ecosystem that delivers engagement across multiple touchpoints. The scale, consistency and long-term nature of our FIFA partnership also provide advertisers with a platform to build sustained associations with football audiences over several years rather than a single tournament cycle.

How important is digital accessibility in maximizing FIFA World Cup viewership among India’s young and mobile-first audience?

Digital accessibility is critical in ensuring that the FIFA World Cup reaches the broadest possible audience. Today’s consumers expect flexibility in how, when and where they consume content. Our approach has been to make FIFA accessible across devices, languages and geographies, ensuring that no fan is left behind.

Beyond live streaming, we are also seeing strong traction for highlights, explainers, social content and catch-up programming, enabling fans to engage with the tournament on their own terms. The timings have also enabled us to unlock a dual consumption curve through both live viewing and catch-up content. This hybrid consumption behaviour is especially relevant for younger, mobile-first audiences and has contributed to strong engagement across our platforms.

What lessons can sports platforms and broadcasters take from previous global football events to drive deeper fan engagement during the FIFA World Cup?

One of the biggest learnings is that fan engagement cannot be limited to the 90 minutes of live match action. Audiences today expect an immersive and always-on experience. That is why we have complemented live matches with studio programming, expert analysis, multilingual commentary, social-first content, public screenings and fan engagement initiatives across the country.

Another key lesson is the importance of localization. Football already enjoys strong cultural roots in markets such as Kerala, West Bengal and the North East. Building regional narratives and creating relatable experiences helps deepen fandom and expand the audience base. We have also enabled partnerships for public viewings and immersive fan park experiences, ensuring that football becomes a shared cultural experience rather than just a viewing event.

How can Zee 5 leverage the FIFA World Cup to attract and retain subscribers beyond the tournament itself?

For us, the FIFA World Cup is part of a much larger and long-term football strategy. Our objective is to establish ‘Z’ as the ultimate home of football in India. The eight-year partnership with FIFA provides us with a sustained pipeline of premium football content, enabling us to continuously engage audiences beyond a single tournament cycle.

More importantly, we are creating a deeper purpose-led connection with football fans. Every subscriber on Zee 5 gets an opportunity to contribute towards building football in India. Through the allocation of 15% of football-related subscription revenues, we aim to identify, nurture and develop young talent through structured training initiatives and scalable league formats at the city, district, state and national level.

This approach transforms football viewership into football development, creating a meaningful reason for fans to stay invested in the ecosystem over the long term while helping build a robust talent pipeline for the future.

Do you believe the FIFA World Cup can accelerate football’s growth as a mainstream commercial sport in India?

Absolutely. Football in India is on a strong growth trajectory and there is significant headroom for further expansion. Global events like the FIFA World Cup create aspiration, visibility and cultural relevance, which are essential for growing any sport.

However, sustained growth requires more than just marquee events. It requires a structured ecosystem that identifies talent early, nurtures it consistently and creates pathways for progression. In line with this vision, we will collaborate with football federations globally as well as key national and state-level associations to strengthen grassroots development and create opportunities for aspiring players across the country.

Leveraging the collective contribution of Zee 5 subscribers, we aim to build a robust football ecosystem that supports talent development from the grassroots level and ultimately helps create globally competitive teams from India. Our long-term vision is to contribute towards building Indian teams capable of participating in the Men’s and Women’s FIFA World Cup by 2034.

From a business perspective, what will define success for Zee 5’s FIFA World Cup coverage in the Indian market?

Success for us goes far beyond the performance of a single tournament. While audience engagement, advertiser partnerships and viewership remain important metrics, our larger objective is to strengthen football fandom in India and establish ‘Z’ as the preferred destination for football content.

We are encouraged by the strong initial response, with over 100 million viewers engaged across digital, linear and social platforms during the opening weekend. These numbers reflect the growing appetite for football content among Indian audiences.

However, success will also be measured by the impact we create beyond the screen. If we can successfully leverage our platform and the support of Zee 5 subscribers to identify and nurture talent, create scalable football ecosystems and contribute meaningfully towards India’s football aspirations, we would have created value that extends well beyond the tournament itself. Ultimately, success will be defined by our ability to build long-term audience affinity, establish ‘Z’ as the home of football in India and create a sustainable football ecosystem over the course of our eight-year partnership with FIFA.