In a historic move poised to popularize baseball across the Indian Subcontinent, Baseball United, the first professional league dedicated to the Middle East and South Asia, has secured a landmark partnership with Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEE), a media giant in India. This collaboration will deliver live coverage of all 21 Season One games this November and December, ensuring professional baseball reaches ZEE’s vast audience of over 800 million viewers via television and digital platforms.
The agreement marks a pivotal step in expanding the sport’s footprint in India and connecting with the country’s huge sports fan base.
- Broadcast Coverage: All 21 games of the debut season will be broadcast in both English and Hindi.
- Television Channels: The matches will be telecast on ZEE’s linear channels, specifically Zee Café SD, &Flix SD, and &Pictures HD.
- Digital Streaming: The entire season will be available for streaming on the Zee5 app, ensuring mobile and on-demand accessibility.
Baseball United’s inaugural season in Dubai will feature four founding teams, including the region’s first professional franchise from India.
- Indian Franchise: The league features India’s very own Mumbai Cobras, giving Indian fans their first professional baseball team to support.
- Founding Teams: The season will include the Arabia Wolves, Mid East Falcons, Karachi Monarchs, and the Mumbai Cobras.
- Subcontinent Series: The season will commence with a landmark “Subcontinent Series” between the Mumbai Cobras and Karachi Monarchs from November 14 to 16. This marks the first-ever professional baseball clash between Indian and Pakistani teams.
The league’s first full season will be hosted at the Baseball United Ballpark in Dubai, featuring 21 games played over 30 days and culminating in the United Series Championship from December 12 to 14.
The partnership extends beyond live game telecasts to ensure deep audience engagement and education about the sport.
- Exclusive Content on Zee5: The Zee5 app will host exclusive supplementary content, including player features, behind-the-scenes clips, ballpark highlights, and “Baseball 101” explainer videos to educate new fans on the game’s strategy and rules. An original documentary detailing the league’s creation will also be available.
- Extensive Promotion: ZEE will conduct a massive four-week marketing campaign across its linear and OTT networks, featuring teasers, branded spots, and digital activations to promote the league and the new sport.
Kash Shaikh, Chairman, CEO, and Co-Founder of Baseball United, highlighted the significance: “This is a major milestone in our mission to bring professional baseball to India… For the first time in history, Indian fans will have a team of their own to cheer for, with homegrown players representing them.”
The league is backed by 20 Major League Baseball legends, including icons like Mariano Rivera, Barry Larkin, Adrián Beltré, and Albert Pujols, aiming to inspire a new generation of fans across the Middle East and South Asia by merging India’s love for bat-and-ball games with baseball’s global appeal.
Key Highlights:
- Historic Partnership for Indian Baseball: Baseball United, the Middle East and South Asia’s first professional baseball league, has partnered with Zee Entertainment (ZEE) to broadcast all 21 Season One games to ZEE’s audience of over 800 million.
- Comprehensive Broadcast: Games will be available in both English and Hindi on ZEE’s TV channels (Zee Café SD, &Flix SD, &Pictures HD) and digitally on the Zee5 app.
- Launch of Mumbai Cobras: The league features India’s first professional baseball team, the Mumbai Cobras, which will kick off the season with a “Subcontinent Series” against the Karachi Monarchs (November 14-16).
- Extensive Ancillary Content: Beyond live games, the partnership includes a four-week marketing push by ZEE and exclusive content on Zee5, such as “Baseball 101” videos and a league documentary, designed to grow fan knowledge and engagement.