FIFA world cup 2026 streaming chaos: Indian fans fume over OTT glitches on opening night

Indian football fans stayed awake late into the night to witness the return of the FIFA World Cup, but many were left frustrated as technical glitches, buffering issues and app crashes overshadowed the tournament's opening day on the streaming platform, as per reports

The FIFA World Cup 2026 began with hosts Mexico taking on South Africa at the iconic Estadio Azteca. However, instead of celebrating the start of football's biggest tournament, thousands of Indian viewers took to social media to complain about problems with the official livestream.

Even before kick-off, controversy had erupted over Zee5's ₹799 FIFA World Cup subscription package. Several early subscribers claimed that the platform had reduced multi-device access from three screens to a single device. Following widespread criticism, the platform reportedly  restored the promised three-device access later.

The problems continued during the opening ceremony and match, with users reporting frequent buffering, frozen streams, login failures, server outages and fluctuating video quality. Many viewers were also disappointed by the absence of the much-publicised 4K streaming option.

As complaints mounted online, several users reported app crashes and service disruptions around kick-off, turning the streaming experience into one of the biggest talking points of the tournament's opening night.

According to reports, the most common issues included:

- Streams freezing and buffering during live matches

- Login and account-access problems

- Temporary server outages around kick-off

- Absence of the expected 4K streaming feature

- Confusion over device limits for premium subscribers

- Concerns about the ₹799 World Cup package pricing

While not every subscriber experienced problems, the volume of complaints sparked widespread criticism of the platform's handling of one of the biggest sporting events in the world.

As per reports, for Smart TVs and streaming devices, the platform advised users to clear the app's cache and data or reinstall the application to download the latest version. Desktop and laptop users were asked to clear browser cookies and history, update their browsers, and temporarily disable ad blockers or custom DNS settings that could interfere with playback.

Subscribers facing device-limit issues were advised to log out of all active sessions and log back in so the platform's updated permissions could recognise the restored three-screen access.

The troubled rollout comes despite Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd.'s landmark eight-year agreement with FIFA, under which the company will serve as the exclusive Indian broadcaster for FIFA tournaments through 2034. The deal includes coverage of 39 international football events, making Zee the long-term home of FIFA competitions for Indian audiences.