After FIFA, Zee lands exclusive rights for India's Zimbabwe tour
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Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (ZEEL) has acquired the exclusive broadcast rights for India's upcoming tour of Zimbabwe, further expanding its sports portfolio as the media company steps up investments in premium sporting content.
Under the agreement with Zimbabwe Cricket, Zee will exclusively broadcast the Twenty20 International series scheduled for July 2026. The matches will be aired live on Unite8 Sports 1 and Unite8 Sports 1 HD in Hindi, and on Unite8 Sports 2 and Unite8 Sports 2 HD in English, the company said.
The acquisition comes weeks after Zee secured media rights for the FIFA World Cup 2026, underscoring its efforts to strengthen its presence across cricket and football.
Sports strategy gathers pace
The Zimbabwe rights add another international cricket property to Zee's portfolio at a time when competition in the sports broadcasting market is intensifying.
Commenting on the development, Bavesh Janavlekar, chief business officer, Unite8 Sports, Zee Entertainment, said the acquisition aligns with the company's broader sports strategy.
"We are delighted to bring India's tour of Zimbabwe to viewers as we continue to scale Unite8 Sports into a compelling destination for premium global sport. This acquisition reflects our broader strategy of building a diversified sports portfolio," Janavlekar said.
"We will continue to offer rich and engaging sporting action across our platforms and look forward to a long-term partnership with Zimbabwe Cricket," he added.
The company said the Zimbabwe series strengthens its presence across key sports categories, complementing existing and upcoming properties including the International League T20 (ILT20) and FIFA World Cup 2026.
Comes after ₹2,300-crore fund-raising plan
The latest sports rights acquisition comes shortly after Zee's board approved raising a minimum of ₹2,300 crore in one or more phases to fund strategic and business initiatives. The company said the board would further deliberate on the available fund-raising options.
While Zee has not linked the proposed capital raise to any specific business vertical, the company has been actively strengthening its sports offerings through a series of rights acquisitions.
The broadcaster has been seeking to expand the scale of its sports business through the Unite8 Sports network, with a focus on acquiring premium international properties across cricket and football.
India's tour of Zimbabwe, though smaller in scale compared with marquee bilateral contests, provides Zee with additional live cricket inventory and strengthens its programming lineup ahead of a busy international sports calendar.
The acquisition also marks a deeper partnership between Zee and Zimbabwe Cricket, with the broadcaster positioning itself as a destination for global sports content across television platforms.
Shares of Zee Entertainment Enterprises ended 4.57% lower at ₹102.70 on the NSE on Wednesday. The stock has declined more than 21% over the past year, underperforming the Nifty Media index, which has fallen nearly 17% during the same period.