Zee 5 promises to contribute 15% of its subscription revenue to the development of Indian football

Zee 5, the official broadcaster of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in India, has pledged to contribute 15% of its subscription revenue to the development of the Indian football ecosystem.

The company has expressed interest in helping support India’s ambitions to participate in the 2034 FIFA World Cup through structured training initiatives and creating scalable competition formats at city, district, state and national levels.

«The initiative aims to nurture young football talent at city, district and state levels and ensure that opportunities reach aspiring players in every corner of India. To achieve this, scalable grassroots leagues and development programs will be introduced to create a strong talent pipeline from a young age, enabling players to compete effectively at the national level and ultimately on the global stage,» Zee 5 said in a press release.

«To further support its development initiatives, the company will onboard renowned football personalities as domain experts to help build an enabling ecosystem for football in India. It will also collaborate with key sports federations across the world, as well as national and state-level associations, to devise actionable strategies for talent identification and training, thereby encouraging football as a viable career path for the country’s youth,» the release said.

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Commenting on the decision, Punit Goenka, CEO of Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. said:

“India has a large, untapped reserve of football talent that harbors immense potential to compete on the global stage. As a responsible industry stakeholder and the home of football in India, our commitment is to build a sustainable and enabling environment that nurtures the development of football in a holistic manner. Through this initiative, we are enabling our football viewers to invest in the dreams of countless young Indians who aspire to play the beautiful game on the world stage.

Before the start of the World Cup, Zee 5 had signed a deal, which runs until 2034, to stream all FIFA tournaments in India.

Published on June 18, 2026