The FIFA World Cup currently underway has seen all teams battling fiercely on the field. However, in India, criticism surrounding the tournament's broadcasting continues to grow. Football fans, in particular, are expressing strong anger toward Zee Network, which acquired the FIFA World Cup broadcasting rights in India.
Zee5 Aquired FIFA streaming Rights.
The primary reason behind the criticism is the poor quality of the broadcast. To watch the FIFA World Cup, viewers are required to purchase a subscription, and Zee5 introduced several special plans for the tournament. However, users who subscribed to these plans have been complaining heavily because matches are only being streamed in Full HD quality. Before purchasing the subscription, Zee5 reportedly advertised that the matches would be available in 4K quality. But after users subscribed, they received a notice stating that 4K streaming would not be available. This has led to widespread outrage among football fans, who have taken to social media to voice their frustration.
Many users are questioning why Zee acquired the FIFA World Cup rights if it cannot provide a proper broadcasting experience. They have also pointed out that other networks are offering matches in 4K quality, while Zee5 continues to stream only in 1080p, drawing further criticism.
The situation escalated significantly during Brazil's opening match. Brazil is the most successful team in FIFA World Cup history, making their first match of the tournament one of the most anticipated games. Brazil faced Morocco in their opening fixture, but Zee5 struggled to handle the massive viewership. Fans encountered repeated streaming lags, app crashes, and buffering issues, leaving many disappointed once again.
As a result, social media was flooded with complaints. Expectations were already high for the Brazil match, and many believed it would attract a huge audience. However, Zee Network failed to manage the traffic effectively, prompting football fans to openly express their dissatisfaction online.
Prior to the tournament, Zee had introduced several subscription plans. Among them, the Rs 799 FIFA World Cup package became particularly controversial. The company initially advertised that subscribers would be able to stream content simultaneously on three devices. However, after purchasing the plan, many users discovered that access was limited to just one mobile device, triggering widespread backlash. Following the criticism, Zee5 eventually restored access for up to three devices as originally promised.
