Zee Entertainment‘s 2026 FIFA World Cup broadcast on Unite8 Sports and Zee5 drew over 100 million viewers in India during the opening weekend stretching from June 11 to June 14, it said on Monday. Zee5, the digital platform alone, garnered around 6 million viewers on the opening weekend, as it seamlessly hosted concurrent users, the broadcaster said.
The global sporting event also generated over 360 million views across social platforms, it added. Zee5 also saw over 190 minutes of average per viewer engagement for live matches between June 11 and June 14 including the inaugural ceremony.
While precise viewership numbers of the Unite8 Sports network were not provided since it comes with a lag, Zee said that it is estimated to have reached over 25 million households across the nation during the period under review.
“We are encouraged by the strong response garnered for our FIFA World Cup 2026 offerings across all platforms. The scale of engagement witnessed over the opening weekend on our digital and linear platforms reflects the growing passion for football in India. With our multi-platform offerings, the focus has been on ensuring that the global sporting event is accessible to all, while delivering a seamless and uninterrupted viewing experience,” a company spokesperson said.
Zee said that it remained committed and well-positioned to build on the opening weekend momentum to drive deeper engagement and viewership over the course of the World Cup.