After months of uncertainty over broadcasting rights, Zee Entertainment's last-minute deal to bring the FIFA World Cup 2026 to India was welcomed by fans eager not to miss the action of the world's biggest sporting event.
But what began as excitement has quickly turned into frustration for many football fans in India. Zee5 is facing widespread criticism over its subscription policies, excessive advertisements and the quality of its match highlights.
Fans Slam Paid Highlights
The biggest complaint from viewers is that even short match highlights and replays are locked behind a separate FIFA World Cup subscription package. Many fans argued that highlights should be freely available, especially after paying for Zee5's existing plans.
One angry viewer wrote, "I would rather not watch the World Cup than watch on your pathetic channel." The user also accused Zee5 of uploading a "Top Moments" video on YouTube that contained crowd shots, breaks and reactions but "not a single second of actual football."
Really pathetic Zee5, even for highlights you need a subscription, sony is far better. Moreover, @FIFAWorldCup is uploading the highlights after at least 6 hours.
— Krishna (@krishna201603) June 18, 2026
I've never seen football broadcast worse than what's on @ZEE5India . Even the highlights have two separate as breaks that you can't skip. In spite of having paid whatever subscription charge they asked for. Indian entertainment platforms should stick to saas bahu & K series.
— Stickler++ (@rixit81) June 17, 2026
The frustration comes just days after Zee5 was criticised for changes to its World Cup subscription plans. According to reports, some users also faced confusion when existing annual subscriptions did not include access to live World Cup matches without purchasing an additional pack.
Ads Everywhere, Fans Say
Even subscribers claim they are being bombarded with advertisements while watching highlights.
"Not to mention having to watch 5 minutes of ads to catch 10 minutes of highlights, even after you paid for the subscription. Abysmal," wrote one user on X.
Not to mention having to watch 5 minutes of ads to catch 10 minutes of highlights, even after you paid for the subscription. Abysmal, I hope they go bankrupt
— Haseeb Kazmi (@HaseebKazmi11) June 18, 2026
Another fan complained, "ZEE5 You are giving 6 ad breaks for an extended highlights clip on your app. Each ad break more than 1-2 mins long and including 4 ads each. Are we consumers a joke to you??"
ZEE5 You are giving 6 ad breaks for an extended highlights clip on your app. Each ad break more than 1-2 mins long and including 4 ads each.
— Harshil (@HarshilFCB) June 17, 2026
Are we consumers a joke to you??@ZEE5India FIX THIS ASAP, THIS IS A LOAD OF CRAP !
And to make things worse, they have started showing meaningless ads even during the run of old TV shows. I understand that generating revenue and making profits is necessary, but this kind of mindless ad placement is excessive and unjustified.
— ab (@iamitkb) June 18, 2026
Several users also reported repeated ads during archived shows and highlight packages, with some threatening to cancel their subscriptions after the tournament.
They are so disingenuous that they advertise 4K stream of WC and after sub we find out it's 1080p. To make things worse, there are no actual WC replays, just the highlights, which can be watched on YouTube FIFA channel. So they expect us to stay awake all night and watch it.
— Tyler Durden (@TylerDurdenThe) June 18, 2026
Me too. Not gonna subscribe again. 10 minute highlights in ZEE5 has 4 adds, all of them repeats 3 times! Completely reuins the watching experience.
— auroura (@peggy_hsn) June 18, 2026
ALSO READ: Football 'Capitalism': FIFA Faces Fan Outrage Over Commercials During Hydration Breaks
AI-Edited Highlights Under Fire
The platform's YouTube highlights have become another talking point. Multiple viewers accused Zee5 of using automated editing tools that failed to capture the most important moments of matches.
"Their highlights are definitely edited by AI with some incomprehensible algorithm. So many useless shots of fans and random stuff," one user posted.
Their highlights are definitely edited by AI with some incomprehensible algorithm
— Ironic Man (@nishantak) June 18, 2026
So many useless shots of fans and random stuff
Pretty sure the Fifa World Cup highlights on the Zee5 youtube channel are edited by AI
— Aditya (@areyadityatu) June 17, 2026
I mean they don't have a single goal from Argentina vs Algeria match, just reaction shots and random clips
So much for the official streaming partner in India ????♂️
Another fan claimed the Argentina-Algeria highlights did not include a single goal, saying the video consisted largely of reaction shots and random clips. "So much for the official streaming partner in India," the user wrote.
ZEE5 is a scam. They showed replay of Mbappe going down inside the box for two mins, but they skipped goals replay after only one
— Vishal Kanayikkaran (@iamkanayikkaran) June 17, 2026
Earlier Complaints Added To Anger
The latest backlash comes after fans had already complained about buffering issues, broadcast glitches during the opening match and temporary changes to Zee5's multi-device access plans.
As the World Cup continues, fans are calling on Zee5 to improve its coverage, reduce intrusive advertising and make highlights more accessible. Many believe constant ad interruptions, questionable highlight edits and additional paywalls have taken away from the viewing experience of a tournament that comes around only once every four years.
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