‘Poora India Watchega?’ Fans Accuse Zee5 of Failing FIFA World Cup Subscribers
Zee5’s “Poora India Watchega” campaign for its FIFA World Cup subscription plans gave users expectations that were not met on the big day.
Excited Indian football fans were greeted by glitches and an eventual crash of the site right before the kick-off of the first FIFA World Cup 2026 match (Mexico vs. South Africa) on June 11. Viewers reported lagging streams, buffering, and the eventual crash of the app, which led many to watch the match on piracy websites instead.
Zee5’s “Poora India Watchega” campaign for its FIFA World Cup subscription plans gave users expectations that were not met on the big day.
Zee5 has been accused of providing misleading information. The plan that users paid for included multiple screens and 4K streaming quality, which did not reflect on the day of the match. Hours before the match, Zee5 abruptly reduced the number of screens from three to one for premium plans. While 4K streaming was promised, viewers complained that the highest available quality was 720p, leaving many outraged.
There have also been reports of users having to purchase a separate World Cup package because their active subscription plan did not reflect in the app.
“Zee5 openly scammed subscribers before the FIFA World Cup! Imagine buying the plan for 3 screens by paying 799 rupees to watch the FIFA World Cup, and then the screen limit secretly drops to 1 literally the night before the tournament starts, that too in 720p. Absolute bait-and-switch. We paid for a premium experience, not potato quality. You can’t just downgrade the plan after taking everyone’s money!” wrote a user on X.
After furious fans took to social media, Zee5 is said to have restored the original plans as advertised.
The article has been written by Hannah Judith Johnson, currently interning with Deccan Chronicle