Mumbai: Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. has announced the launch of Unite8 Sports, a dedicated portfolio of sports channels, as the company sharpens its focus on expanding its footprint in the sports broadcasting ecosystem.
As part of the expansion, the broadcaster will roll out four dedicated sports channels — Unite8 Sports 1 and Unite8 Sports 1 HD in Hindi, along with Unite8 Sports 2 and Unite8 Sports 2 HD in English. The channels will offer coverage across football, kabaddi, cricket, badminton, wrestling, boxing and combat sports, among others.
The move marks a significant step in Zee’s strategy to strengthen its linear sports bouquet and diversify its content portfolio by building scalable and engagement-led businesses in the high-growth sports segment.
Over the years, the company has gradually built its sports broadcasting presence by airing key sporting events across its entertainment channels, leveraging the strong affinity for live sports content to drive reach and viewer engagement. The new dedicated sports portfolio is aimed at consolidating and expanding that presence further.
The company has also submitted the requisite applications for the launch of the channels.
In a related development, Bavesh Janavlekar, who currently manages Zee’s Marathi movies cluster (linear and studio business), has been given additional responsibility as Chief Business Officer of Unite8 Sports channels.
Commenting on the development, Bavesh Janavlekar said, “In a vast country like India, there is rising demand for sports which are global in appeal yet rooted within the heartland. Sports consumption across the country is accelerating rapidly, driven by an increasing demand for live, appointment-based content and rising audience affinity for multiple sporting formats.”
He further added, “Building a robust presence in the linear ecosystem with four channels aligns with our broader strategy of diversifying the content portfolio and building scalable, value-accretive businesses that capitalize on emerging growth opportunities.”
The company also revealed that it is in discussions with FIFA for the broadcast and streaming rights of the FIFA World Cup 2026 matches in India, signalling its intent to build a competitive sports content offering.
With Unite8 Sports, Zee is looking to reinforce its long-term commitment to the sports broadcasting segment through a mix of scale, innovation and multi-sport programming.
