The FIFA World Cup 2026 emerged as India’s most-watched OTT property during the week of July 13-19, according to the latest Ormax StreamView ranking. Streaming on Zee5, the tournament attracted an estimated 15 million viewers in the mentioned time-frame.
The data has defied conventional wisdom which made people believe that the World Cup would not attract many viewers owing to huge time difference as it was co-hosted by US, Canada and Mexico.
According to the report, one of the biggest takeaways from the tournament was the willingness of fans to tune in regardless of inconvenient match timings. Nearly 40% of the platform’s peak concurrent viewership came from games played between midnight and 4 a.m., underscoring the commitment of football followers across the country.
The World Cup also delivered a significant boost to Zee 5’s overall performance. Between June 1 and July 19, the platform recorded a 79% rise in watch time, while daily app installs and new subscriptions increased by 55%, making the tournament one of its biggest live sports successes to date in the country.
Another key insight from the data published is that the tournament was being watched beyond India’s traditional football hubs. Tier 2 cities accounted for more than 45% of the total watch time, indicating the sport’s expanding popularity across smaller markets. Connected devices such as smart TVs also played a major role, contributing 53% of match viewing, reflecting a growing preference for premium, large-screen sports consumption.
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The multilingual broadcast strategy also proved successful. While English remained the most-watched language, strong viewership in Hindi, Malayalam and Bengali highlighted football’s widening appeal across different regions. West Bengal emerged as Zee5’s largest football market, followed by Maharashtra, Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Delhi.
Beyond viewership, the tournament helped strengthen engagement across Zee 5’s broader content library. More than two-thirds of users who subscribed to watch the FIFA World Cup went on to stream movies on the platform, while nearly half also explored its original series, demonstrating how premium live sports can drive sustained engagement.
Commenting on the tournament’s success, Bavesh Janavlekar, Chief Business Officer, Unite8 Sports, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd., said the company had long believed India possessed one of the world’s most passionate football fan bases.
“Long before we acquired the FIFA rights, we knew India was home to one of the world’s most passionate football communities. Whether it is fans staying up through the night to follow their favourite clubs, or India emerging as FIFA’s second largest Instagram audience globally with over 10% of its worldwide following, the passion for the sport has always existed,” he said.
Janavlekar added that Zee’s partnership with FIFA aimed to make the tournament more accessible through television and digital platforms, supported by multilingual coverage tailored for Indian audiences.
“The response to the FIFA World Cup 2026 has validated that belief. It has shown that football in India is no longer a niche interest, but a growing mainstream phenomenon that brings together fans, creators, brands and communities,” he said.
He added that Zee would continue investing in football properties such as the Bundesliga, alongside events including ILT Season 5 and the Tamil Nadu Kabaddi League, as part of its broader vision to strengthen India’s sporting ecosystem.
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