ZEE5 is the Indian streaming service that Zee Entertainment Enterprises launched back in 2018, packing Hindi dramas, South Indian cinema, and originals across twelve languages into one app. The big 2026 hook is sport: Zee landed India digital rights to the FIFA World Cup 2026 plus the DP World ILT20 cricket league. Reaching the full Indian ZEE5 library in the US takes a workaround, because the licensing keeps most of that catalog pinned to Indian IP addresses while the local edition stays much thinner.
The diaspora version that loads in roughly 36 countries is smaller and pricier than the home catalog, so Indian families and Bollywood fans here lean on Surfshark, switch to an Indian server, and sign in as if they were back home. ZEE5 actively fights VPNs and even lists them as unsupported in its help center, yet a solid provider with Indian servers slips through and plays video at up to 4K with spatial sound.
Tested weekly by our team. Green: works, amber: partial, red: blocked.
| VPN Service | Price | ZEE5 | Tested | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 SurfsharkBEST | From $1.78/mo | ✓ Works | October 3 | Try it |
 ExpressVPN | From $2.79/mo | ✓ Works | October 3 | Open |
 NordVPN | From $2.99/mo | ✓ Works | October 5 | Open |
 Private Internet Access | From $1.79/mo | ✓ Works | October 4 | Open |
 IPVanish | From $2.19/mo | ~ Partial | October 4 | Open |
 ProtonVPN | From $3.59/mo | ~ Partial | September 29 | Open |
 CyberGhost | From $1.75/mo | ~ Partial | October 4 | Open |
✓ Works✓ Works✓ Works✓ Works~ Partial~ Partial~ PartialTakes about 2 minutes. Works on your phone, tablet, TV, PC, or laptop.
ZEE5 works in 36 countries, including in the United States, in the United Kingdom, in Australia, in Canada and in New Zealand. In 158 more it is blocked, and outside available regions you will need a VPN.
ZEE5 works without a VPN in the United States, in the United Kingdom, in Australia, in Canada, in New Zealand, in Ireland and in Germany, plus in 29 more countries.
ZEE5 is blocked in Japan, in Brazil, in Afghanistan, in Albania and in Algeria, plus in 153 more countries. To access it, use a premium VPN like Surfshark.
ZEE5 is an Indian streaming service launched in February 2018 by Zee Entertainment Enterprises, a media group based in Mumbai. After the Sony merger fell apart in early 2024, Zee remains an independent Indian company, and ZEE5 stands as one of the biggest homes for South Asian entertainment. The library spans films and series in roughly twelve Indian languages, including Hindi, Tamil, Telugu and Bengali, plus dozens of live TV channels and originals such as Sunflower and Taj: Divided by Blood. It runs on a hybrid model: a free, ad supported layer and paid tiers up to 4K. In 2026 it also holds India digital rights to the FIFA World Cup and streams DP World ILT20 cricket. Abroad it operates as ZEE5 Global for the diaspora, though the full Indian catalogue and the cheaper local pricing stay locked to India.
5 tips from our ZEE5 testing team · Updated July 12, 2026
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