Mumbai: Zee Group has bagged the rights to telecast FIFA World Cup matches in India from June 11. So Indian fans will be able to see all matches of the World Cup to be played in the USA, Mexico and Canada on the network’s television and digital platforms. This will be the first World Cup featuring 48 teams from around the world. A total of 104 matches will be played over the course of the competition. All matches will be shown in India.The Australian team arrives in San Francisco on Sunday for their FIFA World Cup campaign. (AP Photo)The financial terms were not disclosed but it was learnt that the network has picked up the rights for the 2026 and the 2030 editions of the quadrennial event for a reported amount between $30 million and $35 million, far less than the $100 million FIFA had demanded for the 2026 and 2030 World Cups.“The Company has emerged as one of the most powerful sports destination for the youth of our Nation by partnering with Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) to bring the world’s biggest football properties - FIFA World Cup 2026 and FIFA World Cup 2030 editions, and the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2027, along with other key FIFA events up to 2034 and docu-series content, for the Indian market,” Zee said in a statement.Commenting on the strategic partnership, Punit Goenka, CEO, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. said in a media release, “We are excited to bring one of the world’s biggest sporting spectacles to Indian audiences. Football cuts across regions and demographics, and the investments in garnering the media rights and launching dedicated sports channels, reflect our clear belief in its long-term potential. Our approach has been to invest in properties where we see current relevance and future growth potential. Our partnership with FIFA will enable us to unlock the true value of the sport in line with our sharp focus on growth and profitability, while amplifying the excitement of the game for every fan.”FIFA and Reliance-Disney had negotiated for a while for the India rights, but the negotiations were unsuccessful. Even, Sony Pictures Networks India explored the possibility of acquiring the rights, but did not submit a formal bid. Sony had the FIFA World Cup rights for 2014 and 2018 editions.The matches will be broadcast across Zee’s recently launched sports network and streamed on its digital platform, Zee5. Coverage is likely to be offered in multiple languages as well.This is a significant step in Zee’s return to sports broadcasting. The company recently launched four sports channels under its Unite8 Sports brand — Unite8 Sports 1 and Unite8 Sports 1 HD in Hindi, along with Unite8 Sports 2 and Unite8 Sports 2 HD in English.