Zee and DD Sports to carry Indian Football League across TV and digital platforms for 2026-27 season
Zee Entertainment Enterprises and DD Sports have been confirmed as broadcast and streaming partners for the Indian Football League (IFL) 2026-27 season, with matches scheduled for distribution across multiple television and digital platforms in India. The move follows the previous season’s television viewership of 17.56 million viewers.
Doordarshan will continue its association with the league and will live telecast all matches of the season on DD Sports, while selected fixtures will also be telecast on Unite8 Sports. On the digital front, all matches will be live streamed on Z5, WAVES, Prasar Bharati’s OTT platform, and fans can also live stream all matches for free on the official YouTube channel of Unite8 Sports. IFL described the arrangement as a multi-platform distribution network intended to widen the league’s reach and accessibility.
Nildeep Mondal, CEO, Indian Football League, commented on the partnership, saying, “The 2026-27 season represents an important step forward for the Indian Football League, both in terms of the competition on the pitch and the way we connect with football fans across the country. With Zee also joining as broadcast partners, and every match available across multiple digital and television platforms, we are taking a significant step towards making the league more accessible to audiences across India and help us connect with fans across different regions and demographics. We look forward to an exciting season and to building on the growing interest in Indian club football.”
The agreement brings established broadcasters and digital platforms together to provide comprehensive coverage of the competition throughout the season. With DD Sports telecasting every match, the league will continue to benefit from DD’s extensive television reach, while the addition of Unite8 Sports will provide another television destination for selected fixtures. Zee’s involvement is positioned to strengthen the league’s digital footprint by making every match available on Z5 and the Unite8 Sports YouTube channel.
Bavesh Janavlekar, Chief Business Officer, Zee Sports Network, said, “For Indian football, the opportunity is to reach the right fans, everywhere they are. With Z5 and Unite8 Sports, we’re taking the IFL to football lovers across the country. This is a long-term commitment. Together with the IFL, we look forward to building a legacy for the league and for Indian football.”
Mr. Larsing LD Sawyan, Managing Director, Shillong Lajong FC, added, “We are extremely excited to have Zee join us as our broadcasting partner for this season. Last year’s inaugural IFL had 1.6 times higher viewership than the ISL. The IFL is going to be broadcasted in multiple platforms including YouTube and we are confident that this season’s revolutionary club led model will usher a new era for Indian Domestic Football. Indian football will only develop once the leagues are strong and healthy and the coming together of stakeholders such as Zee with Indian Football League bodes well for football in India in the long run.”
The 2026-27 campaign returns to a full-fledged home-and-away format, with each club set to play 20 league matches across the season. The competition will feature an 11-team lineup that includes new entrants Nagaland United SC and Samaleswari Sporting Club, a change the league says will broaden its geographical footprint. Supported by the expanded broadcast network, the IFL aims to strengthen its connection with football fans and widen domestic club football’s audience nationwide.
With broadcast and streaming partners in place, the IFL’s 2026-27 season will be carried across the named television and digital platforms for the entirety of the campaign, providing live coverage of every fixture as the league implements its home-and-away schedule.
