News DeskDUBAI, UAE – Baseball United, the first professional baseball league focused on the Middle East and South Asia, today announced a groundbreaking partnership with Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (‘Z’), India’s leading media and entertainment company, that will deliver live professional baseball to millions of viewers across India.
The collaboration ensures that all 21 games of Baseball United’s Season One in November and December will be broadcast in India, including primetime matches featuring the nation’s first professional baseball franchise, the Mumbai Cobras.
Multi-Platform Coverage in English and Hindi
The games will air on three of ‘Z’s leading linear channels: Zee Café SD, &Flix SD, and &Pictures HD, and will also be available for digital streaming on the Zee 5 app. Crucially, broadcasts will be provided in both English and Hindi to maximize accessibility for fans across India’s diverse regions.
The inaugural season features the league’s four founding franchises: the Arabia Wolves, Mid East Falcons, Karachi Monarchs, and the Mumbai Cobras.
The partnership also includes an extensive slate of supplementary content on Zee 5, such as:
- Player features
- Ballpark highlights
- Baseball 101 clips
- Behind-the-scenes segments
- An original documentary on the league’s formation.
Mumbai vs. Karachi: A Historic First
The season will kick off with a historic three-game “Subcontinent Series” as the Mumbai Cobras take on the Karachi Monarchs on November 14th, 15th, and 16th. This series marks the first time Indian and Pakistani professional baseball teams have ever competed, featuring players from 25 countries, including six Indian players on the Cobras roster.
All 21 games will take place over 30 days at the Baseball United Ballpark in Dubai, culminating in the United Series Championship from December 12th to 14th.
Accelerating Fan Growth in the Subcontinent
Kash Shaikh, Chairman, CEO, and Co-Founder of Baseball United, hailed the deal as a “major milestone” for the league’s mission. “This is a significant moment for the more than 50 million baseball fans in India,” Shaikh said. “’Z’ is one of India’s most iconic broadcasters, and their combination of reach, relevance, and reputation make them an ideal partner to connect with fans across this great country. For the first time in history, those fans will have a team of their own to support, with homegrown players to inspire them.”
The league recognizes India as a key priority due to its rapidly growing sports audience and deep-rooted passion for bat-and-ball games. ‘Z’ reaches over 800 million viewers in India across its linear and digital platforms, making the partnership a substantial step toward accelerating fan growth.
Laxmi Shetty, Head-Advertisement Revenue, Broadcast and Digital at Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd., echoed this enthusiasm.
“India has a deeply entrenched bat-and-ball sporting culture, and we are excited to introduce millions of sports fans to the speed, strategy, and spectacle of professional baseball,” Shetty stated, adding that the partnership is committed to “establishing India as a global platform for sports consumption.”
Baseball United is backed by 20 Major League Baseball legends, including Mariano Rivera, Barry Larkin, Adrián Beltré, and Albert Pujols, and aims to inspire a new generation of fans and athletes throughout India, Pakistan, and the Middle East.
