Just when Indian football fans were worried about how to watch the World Cup, Zee Entertainment had stepped in and bagged the broadcast rights. But a last-minute change has left them disappointed.
Mumbai: In a move that has left football fans fuming, Zee Entertainment has changed its Zee5 subscription plans at the very last minute, just as the World Cup is about to kick off in Mexico today. This is a real shock for fans.
Earlier, the World Cup subscription plan for ₹799 (with ads) for three months allowed streaming on three devices. But now, with the change made on kickoff day, you can only watch on a single device. Similarly, the one-year premium subscription for ₹1699 (ad-free), which let you stream on four devices, has now been cut down to just two. This means fans will have to shell out more money to watch the World Cup matches.
Zee Entertainment had secured the broadcast rights after a lot of uncertainty among fans about whether the World Cup would even be shown in India. By getting the World Cup rights, Zee was aiming for a major leap in the television and digital streaming space. As part of its deal with FIFA, the Zee Group has bagged the broadcast rights for 38 FIFA tournaments until 2034.
To broadcast the World Cup, the Zee network has also launched four new sports channels: Unite8 Sports 1, Unite8 Sports 1 HD, Unite8 Sports 2, and Unite8 Sports 2 HD. For digital streaming, the matches will be available on Zee5.
Some good news from Doordarshan
Meanwhile, for fans who don't have Zee channels or a Zee5 subscription, Doordarshan has come forward with some relief. Doordarshan Sports (DD Sports) will broadcast the opening match today and all knockout matches from the quarter-finals onwards for free.
This includes the quarter-final matches on July 9, 10, and 11, the semi-finals on July 14 and 15, and the final on July 19. This is a huge relief for many viewers across the country.
