Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. is betting that a broader portfolio of live sports programming — from football and cricket to combat sports and kabaddi — can help deepen viewer engagement and strengthen its television business. The company said it would launch four dedicated sports channels under a new brand, Unite8 Sports, marking one of the company’s most significant pushes into the sports broadcasting business in recent years.
The planned bouquet will include Unite8 Sports 1 and Unite8 Sports 1 HD in Hindi, alongside Unite8 Sports 2 and Unite8 Sports 2 HD in English. The company said the channels would carry a mix of live sporting events across football, kabaddi, cricket, badminton, wrestling, boxing and other combat sports.
The move reflects a broader shift underway in the entertainment industry, where media companies are increasingly relying on live sports to attract advertisers and retain audiences in an era of fragmented viewing habits and digital competition. While streaming platforms have intensified the battle for premium sports rights, traditional television networks continue to see value in appointment-based live programming that can deliver large audiences at scale.
Zee said the dedicated sports network would allow it to take a “sharper and focused approach” toward expanding its presence in the sector.
“In a vast country like India, there is rising demand for sports which are global in appeal yet rooted within the heartland,” Bavesh Janavlekar, who has been appointed chief business officer of the new sports division, said in a statement. He added that consumption of live sports content was accelerating because of growing audience affinity for multiple sporting formats.
Janavlekar, who previously oversaw Zee’s Marathi movie cluster and studio business, will now lead the expansion of the sports channels while retaining his existing responsibilities.
The company also said it was in discussions with FIFA regarding the broadcast and streaming rights for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in India, signaling its intent to compete more aggressively for premium international sports properties.
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