Zee Entertainment and Enterprises (ZEEL) and DD Sports are set to broadcast and stream matches of the 2026-27 Indian Football League, it was announced on Friday. With this partnership, IFL hopes to reach a much wider audience demographic and break new grounds of viewership, surpassing previous season’s viewership of 17.56 million television 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. Fans can also live stream all matches for free on the official YouTube channel of Unite8 Sports.
Speaking on the partnership, Nildeep Mondal, CEO, Indian Football League, said “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.”
Speaking on the announcement, 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.”
The 2026-27 campaign began on Friday with Real Kashmir FC vs debutants Nagaland United SC being the season opener at the TRC Stadium in Srinagar. The season will run until March 20, 2027, featuring 11 clubs competing in a full home-and-away round-robin format.
Also speaking on the partnership, Mr. Larsing LD Sawyan, Managing Director, Shillong Lajong FC, said, “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.”