Zee eyes regional sports, new talent and Indian players after ILT20 push

Dubai: With a massive Bollywood library at its command, Zee believes cricket and cinema remain India’s two biggest cultural forces, and is now leveraging that pull as it pivots aggressively into regional sports such as kabaddi, kushti (wrestling) and football.

The fourth season of the DP World ILT20 returns with LIVE action across Zee's linear TV channels and on the Zee5 OTT platform, with Zee5 Hindi offering free-to-view streaming for fans across India.

Speaking to PTI on the eve of the season here, Laxmi Shetty, Head – Advertisement Revenue, Broadcast and Digital, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd, said the network is mobilising its full strength to amplify the tournament.

“We are bringing the might of our network, our promotion is across 44 channels of our network, so we are sure that we get the right audience mix... we are present across all genres and all audience sets.” Shetty further said Zee’s strategy is rooted in India’s growing appetite for regional sports.

“In India, there are a lot of regional sports playing an important role, be it a kabaddi league or kushti (wrestling) or football,” she said.

“We are a network which connects with the cultures and sub-cultures of every market. In Tamil Nadu, we are coming up with the Tamil Nadu Kabaddi League… we are looking at Maharashtra Kushti League. We want to groom talent and showcase their capability.” Cricket may dominate the national calendar, but Zee’s long-term plan includes a broader sporting footprint.

"Cricket and Bollywood are two religions. We have taken the space of Bollywood, which is close to about three and half to four thousand movie libraries we have.

"The next step would be, since we are present across all regions and subcultures and cultures, we understand the nuances, we will be getting into regional sports and coming up with the channel over a period of time. Maybe we will over a period of time have a 'Zee5 Sports' as well." With India’s youth inclining towards newer disciplines, Zee is also eyeing alternative sports.

“We are looking at sports that might interest India, like baseball and pickleball, which are actually growing in our country,” Shetty said.

“Not everybody can get into cricket, so why not look at every kind of sport? We have already started with baseball and pickleball.” The fourth edition will see Indian flavour in former cricketers Dinesh Karthik, Piyush Chawla and Unmukt Chand.

Karthik will represent Sharjah Warriorz, while the Chawla-Chand duo will bolster Abu Dhabi Knight Riders.

With big Indian franchises -- Mumbai Indians, Kolkata Knight Riders and Delhi Capitals -- investing in the six-team ILT20, Shetty expects greater Indian representation in the league moving forward.

“The league was anticipated or visualised as being non-Indian, but with three Indian players coming in, home representation always matters and it gives a good boost for viewership.

"So yes, three players have come in, I don't see an issue with more coming in going forward. And with more and more, big Indian franchises who are invested in this league, I think we would get to see more Indians coming in as well, over a period of time,” she added.