Vipin PG 
Zee Network grabbed the FIFA World Cup 2026 streaming and broadcast rights in India and for the same, they launched two sports channels — Unite8 Sports 1 and Unite8 Sports 2, with SD and HD versions, which are rebranded versions of the old channels Zee Cafe and &Flix. They also hold the rights for live streaming via the Zee5 app.
So naturally, football fans in India were excited. But things did not go as smoothly as expected. Just before the official kickoff and after, they faced some criticism and feedback from users regarding the service. Let’s break down what actually happened.
Plan Upgrade on Existing Premium Plan
Soon after they started the promotion, they introduced a new Football upgrade plan for INR 799 for three months, through which users can watch the FIFA World Cup. But the actual issue was that those who were already subscribed to the Premium plan — which was advertised earlier as the Full Access Plan — now have to pay an additional ₹799 as an upgrade. In short, the old premium plan is now classified as an all-access plan without FIFA matches.
Channels Go Offline During Live Match
Additionally, what happened during the games was also something different. The Unite8 Sports 1 and Unite8 Sports 2 channels, which were working under the normal premium plan, simply stopped working once the game officially started. Users on the non-FIFA plan are now seeing an upgrade banner when trying to play the channel.
So those who expected the live match to be available on their package through the channels were left disappointed. Anyone who prefers to watch in that way now needs to pay ₹799 for the plan upgrade. It also looks intentional, as the channels start working again soon after the match finishes.
Device Limit on the Upgraded Plan Turns into a Downgrade
Another surprising move was that, without any notice or prior information, the device limit on the FIFA upgrade plan was reduced from 3 to 1. Those who were planning to upgrade noticed the device limit had changed from 3 — as shown earlier — to 1, and this happened just hours before the official kickoff. That triggered a number of tweets and messages on Zee5’s account on X and other platforms. The device limit was restored soon after the public backlash, but with a catch — they made it a limited-time offer, available only for one day (the Kickoff Day), which was June 11th.
The unfortunate part is that the reduced device limit is now back in effect, and anyone upgrading now will have only 1 device access under the FIFA Upgrade Plan. In short, existing normal premium users who were enjoying Zee5 on 2 or 3 devices can now upgrade to the FIFA plan at a higher price, only to have their device limit reduced to 1 — which in reality is a downgrade, not an upgrade.
Upgrade Reality
Picture quality is another concern that many users reported on social media after the match. Many say they were only able to watch in 720p, while they were expecting 1080p. Zee never mentioned 4K quality for the games, so that point can be set aside. But Full HD quality is fairly standard these days, and many football fans love experiencing the game in high definition. The 720p experience was simply not good enough for a paid upgrade.
What People Are Saying
Social media, especially X (formerly Twitter), saw a wave of complaints from users after the kickoff. Many were frustrated about the sudden device limit change, the channel blackout during live matches, and the quality not matching expectations for a paid upgrade. The anger was quite visible, and it is clear that a good number of users felt misled by the way the plans were communicated. As of now, Zee5 has not issued any official statement addressing these concerns publicly.
How Does It Compare
It is hard not to compare this with how JioCinema handled the FIFA World Cup 2022 streaming in India. That was largely free, high quality, and well received. Zee5’s paid model is not necessarily a problem, but the execution — surprise device limit cuts, channel blackouts mid-match, and 720p on a premium upgrade — is what made it look bad. Users expected more, especially those who were already paying for a premium plan.
Hope a Fix Is on the Way
As many users continue to report these issues, we can hope that Zee5 will address them — whether that’s the plan structure, the device limit, or the picture quality. Otherwise, it may honestly be worth watching the games on Cable or DTH, as many providers offer HD channels at good quality.
If you have experienced any of these issues with Zee5 FIFA streaming, do share your thoughts in the comments below. Would love to know how it has been for you.