%PDF-1.4 %âãÏÓ 1 0 obj << /Type /Catalog /Pages 2 0 R >> endobj 2 0 obj << /Type /Pages /Count 2 /Kids [5 0 R 7 0 R] >> endobj 3 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /BaseFont /Helvetica >> endobj 4 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /BaseFont /Helvetica-Bold >> endobj 5 0 obj << /Type /Page /Parent 2 0 R /MediaBox [0 0 595.28 841.89] /Resources << /Font << /F1 3 0 R /F2 4 0 R >> >> /Contents 6 0 R >> endobj 6 0 obj << /Length 4684 >> stream BT /F2 22 Tf 0.06 0.08 0.12 rg 1 0 0 1 46 789.89 Tm (Zee5 FIFA World Cup 2026 Upgrade - A Paid Plan) Tj ET BT /F2 22 Tf 0.06 0.08 0.12 rg 1 0 0 1 46 762.89 Tm (That Feels Like a Downgrade) Tj ET BT /F2 11 Tf 0.72 0.14 0.18 rg 1 0 0 1 46 725.89 Tm (TechRounder PDF Edition) Tj ET BT /F1 9.5 Tf 0.36 0.39 0.46 rg 1 0 0 1 46 709.89 Tm (Live article:) Tj ET BT /F1 9.5 Tf 0.36 0.39 0.46 rg 1 0 0 1 46 697.39 Tm (https://www.techrounder.com/digital-rants/zee5-fifa-world-cup-2026-upgrade-a-paid-plan-that-feels-like-a-downgr) Tj ET BT /F1 9.5 Tf 0.36 0.39 0.46 rg 1 0 0 1 46 684.89 Tm (ade/) Tj ET q 0.82 0.85 0.9 RG 1 w 46 666.39 m 549.28 666.39 l S Q BT /F1 10 Tf 0.24 0.27 0.32 rg 1 0 0 1 46 654.39 Tm (By Vipin PG | Published June 12, 2026 | Updated June 12, 2026 | Format: Article | 4 min read) Tj ET BT /F2 13 Tf 0.72 0.14 0.18 rg 1 0 0 1 46 631.39 Tm (In brief) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 611.39 Tm (Zee Network's rollout of FIFA World Cup 2026 coverage in India via Zee5 and its new Unite8 Sports) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 596.39 Tm (channels has faced heavy criticism due to unexpected additional costs for premium users, sudden) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 581.39 Tm (device limit reductions, and subpar streaming quality.) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 556.39 Tm (Zee Network grabbed the FIFA World Cup 2026 streaming and broadcast rights in India and for the) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 541.39 Tm (same, they launched two sports channels - Unite8 Sports 1 and Unite8 Sports 2, with SD and HD) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 526.39 Tm (versions, which are rebranded versions of the old channels Zee Cafe and &Flix. They also hold the) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 511.39 Tm (rights for live streaming via the Zee5 app.) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 489.39 Tm (So naturally, football fans in India were excited. But things did not go as smoothly as expected. Just) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 474.39 Tm (before the official kickoff and after, they faced some criticism and feedback from users regarding) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 459.39 Tm (the service. Let's break down what actually happened.) Tj ET BT /F2 15 Tf 0.08 0.1 0.14 rg 1 0 0 1 46 431.39 Tm (Plan Upgrade on Existing Premium Plan) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 407.39 Tm (Soon after they started the promotion, they introduced a new Football upgrade plan for INR 799 for) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 392.39 Tm (three months, through which users can watch the FIFA World Cup. But the actual issue was that those) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 377.39 Tm (who were already subscribed to the Premium plan - which was advertised earlier as the Full Access) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 362.39 Tm (Plan - now have to pay an additional INR799 as an upgrade. In short, the old premium plan is now) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 347.39 Tm (classified as an all-access plan without FIFA matches.) Tj ET BT /F2 15 Tf 0.08 0.1 0.14 rg 1 0 0 1 46 319.39 Tm (Channels Go Offline During Live Match) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 295.39 Tm (Additionally, what happened during the games was also something different. The Unite8 Sports 1 and) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 280.39 Tm (Unite8 Sports 2 channels, which were working under the normal premium plan, simply stopped) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 265.39 Tm (working once the game officially started. Users on the non-FIFA plan are now seeing an upgrade) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 250.39 Tm (banner when trying to play the channel.) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 228.39 Tm (So those who expected the live match to be available on their package through the channels were left) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 213.39 Tm (disappointed. Anyone who prefers to watch in that way now needs to pay INR799 for the plan upgrade. It) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 198.39 Tm (also looks intentional, as the channels start working again soon after the match finishes.) Tj ET BT /F2 15 Tf 0.08 0.1 0.14 rg 1 0 0 1 46 170.39 Tm (Device Limit on the Upgraded Plan Turns into a Downgrade) Tj ET q 0.86 0.88 0.92 RG 1 w 46 42 m 549.28 42 l S Q BT /F1 8.4 Tf 0.42 0.45 0.5 rg 1 0 0 1 46 30 Tm (TechRounder | Page 1 of 2) Tj ET BT /F1 7.2 Tf 0.42 0.45 0.5 rg 1 0 0 1 46 19 Tm (https://www.techrounder.com/pdf/blog/zee5-fifa-world-cup-2026-upgrade-a-paid-plan-that-feels-like-a-downgrade.pdf) Tj ET endstream endobj 7 0 obj << /Type /Page /Parent 2 0 R /MediaBox [0 0 595.28 841.89] /Resources << /Font << /F1 3 0 R /F2 4 0 R >> >> /Contents 8 0 R >> endobj 8 0 obj << /Length 5158 >> stream BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 789.89 Tm (Another surprising move was that, without any notice or prior information, the device limit on the FIFA) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 774.89 Tm (upgrade plan was reduced from 3 to 1. Those who were planning to upgrade noticed the device limit) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 759.89 Tm (had changed from 3 - as shown earlier - to 1, and this happened just hours before the official) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 744.89 Tm (kickoff. That triggered a number of tweets and messages on Zee5's account on X and other) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 729.89 Tm (platforms. The device limit was restored soon after the public backlash, but with a catch - they made it) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 714.89 Tm (a limited-time offer, available only for one day \(the Kickoff Day\), which was June 11th.) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 692.89 Tm (The unfortunate part is that the reduced device limit is now back in effect, and anyone upgrading now) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 677.89 Tm (will have only 1 device access under the FIFA Upgrade Plan. In short, existing normal premium users) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 662.89 Tm (who were enjoying Zee5 on 2 or 3 devices can now upgrade to the FIFA plan at a higher price, only to) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 647.89 Tm (have their device limit reduced to 1 - which in reality is a downgrade, not an upgrade.) Tj ET BT /F2 15 Tf 0.08 0.1 0.14 rg 1 0 0 1 46 619.89 Tm (Upgrade Reality) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 595.89 Tm (Picture quality is another concern that many users reported on social media after the match. Many say) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 580.89 Tm (they were only able to watch in 720p, while they were expecting 1080p. Zee never mentioned 4K) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 565.89 Tm (quality for the games, so that point can be set aside. But Full HD quality is fairly standard these days,) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 550.89 Tm (and many football fans love experiencing the game in high definition. The 720p experience was simply) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 535.89 Tm (not good enough for a paid upgrade.) Tj ET BT /F2 15 Tf 0.08 0.1 0.14 rg 1 0 0 1 46 507.89 Tm (What People Are Saying) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 483.89 Tm (Social media, especially X \(formerly Twitter\), saw a wave of complaints from users after the) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 468.89 Tm (kickoff. Many were frustrated about the sudden device limit change, the channel blackout during live) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 453.89 Tm (matches, and the quality not matching expectations for a paid upgrade. The anger was quite visible, and) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 438.89 Tm (it is clear that a good number of users felt misled by the way the plans were communicated. As of) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 423.89 Tm (now, Zee5 has not issued any official statement addressing these concerns publicly.) Tj ET BT /F2 15 Tf 0.08 0.1 0.14 rg 1 0 0 1 46 395.89 Tm (How Does It Compare) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 371.89 Tm (It is hard not to compare this with how JioCinema handled the FIFA World Cup 2022 streaming in India.) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 356.89 Tm (That was largely free, high quality, and well received. Zee5's paid model is not necessarily a problem,) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 341.89 Tm (but the execution - surprise device limit cuts, channel blackouts mid-match, and 720p on a premium) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 326.89 Tm (upgrade - is what made it look bad. Users expected more, especially those who were already paying) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 311.89 Tm (for a premium plan.) Tj ET BT /F2 15 Tf 0.08 0.1 0.14 rg 1 0 0 1 46 283.89 Tm (Hope a Fix Is on the Way) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 259.89 Tm (As many users continue to report these issues, we can hope that Zee5 will address them - whether) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 244.89 Tm (that's the plan structure, the device limit, or the picture quality. Otherwise, it may honestly be worth) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 229.89 Tm (watching the games on Cable or DTH, as many providers offer HD channels at good quality.) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 207.89 Tm (If you have experienced any of these issues with Zee5 FIFA streaming, do share your thoughts in the) Tj ET BT /F1 11 Tf 0.14 0.16 0.2 rg 1 0 0 1 46 192.89 Tm (comments below. Would love to know how it has been for you.) Tj ET q 0.86 0.88 0.92 RG 1 w 46 42 m 549.28 42 l S Q BT /F1 8.4 Tf 0.42 0.45 0.5 rg 1 0 0 1 46 30 Tm (TechRounder | Page 2 of 2) Tj ET BT /F1 7.2 Tf 0.42 0.45 0.5 rg 1 0 0 1 46 19 Tm (https://www.techrounder.com/pdf/blog/zee5-fifa-world-cup-2026-upgrade-a-paid-plan-that-feels-like-a-downgrade.pdf) Tj ET endstream endobj xref 0 9 0000000000 65535 f 0000000015 00000 n 0000000064 00000 n 0000000127 00000 n 0000000197 00000 n 0000000272 00000 n 0000000414 00000 n 0000005149 00000 n 0000005291 00000 n trailer << /Size 9 /Root 1 0 R >> startxref 10500 %%EOF