India, June 12 -- For months, Indian football fans were locked in a frustrating game of collective breath-holding. With the FIFA World Cup 2026 kicking off, the big question wasn't who would lift the trophy, but where on earth we'd even watch it. Thankfully, a massive, last-minute breakthrough saw ZEE Entertainment secure the broadcasting rights up until 2034, saving millions from the dreaded fate of sketchy, lagging live-streams.

"Honestly, I was panicking alone in my room, checking for broadcast updates every five minutes thinking India wouldn't even get the live matches," recalls Advita Chowdhary, 20, capturing the baseline anxiety felt by the community. "It was such a chaotic, last-minute save. That's why watching it at a bar is goin...