Big bids coming in for ISL media rights reboot, but can AIFF avoid last season’s chaos?
Indian football once again finds itself at a defining moment as the All India Football Federation has reopened bids for the commercial rights of the Indian Super League. After last season’s debacle, the process has restarted with renewed interest, but there are also doubts as to whether things will go smoothly this time.
Two serious bidders have come forward for the men’s package. Genius Sports has made a huge offer of Rs 2129 crore for the 20-year cycle, while FanCode has submitted a bid of around Rs 1190 crore. The difference between the two bids is significant, but more importantly, the presence of multiple bidders marks a change from last year’s failed process.
The deal structure has also been redesigned. The contract is set for a base period of 15 years, with an option to extend for a further five years. It also has a built-in clause for a 5 percent annual increase in price, offering a more stable long-term financial model than the uncertainty associated with the previous tender.
In the women’s case, Capri Sports is the only bidder, offering Rs 150 crore for the Indian Women’s League and its second division. The separation of men’s and women’s rights into separate packages is another notable change in this cycle.
All this comes after a season where the very future of the league was in jeopardy. With strong numbers now on the table, the focus turns to whether the federation can turn this into a stable and transparent deal, or risk falling into the same issues that plagued the system last year.
What was the AIFF ISL media rights controversy?
The background to this process is last year’s collapse. The expiry of the master rights agreement between the AIFF and FSDL created a crisis which the federation struggled to handle.
The initial tender for the long-term rights attracted zero bids. High financial expectations, centralized control and lack of clarity pushed away potential bidders. This resulted in a five-month delay to the 2025–26 season, which eventually began in a shortened format with only 91 matches.
Clubs faced uncertainty, with some even ceasing operations, while many openly criticized the federation’s handling of the situation. The season began only after outside interference and even then, broadcast rights were sold. at a very low price. Trust in the system suffered a major blow.
What’s new in ISL rights bids?
This cycle brings about some obvious changes in how rights are structured and presented:
- Long-term clarity: 15-year base deal with 5-year extension option
- Underlying Development Model: 5% annual increase in price
- Package Partition: Separate bidding for men’s and women’s competitions
- Bundled Men’s Rights: ISL and Federation Cup combined in one package
- Women’s Focus: Dedicated packages for Indian Women’s League and IWL 2
This time the intention is to offer greater predictability and structure, which was missing in the previous cycle.
Notably, the Indian Football League has been left out of the tender, raising questions over how the broader league structure is being planned.
What are the issues in the new ISL bid?
Despite the improved structure, there are still some concerns about this process:
- lack of transparency: Request for proposal (RFP) is not available publicly, it is priced at Rs 2.5 lakh
- Out of Indian Football League: No clarity on second level integration
- Lack of trust persists: Clubs became cautious after last season’s financial uncertainty
- Centralized Control Concerns: The same issues that plagued the previous tender still persist
- Execution Risk: Previous delays create doubts over taking decisions on time
These factors suggest that although the structure looks better, key governance and trust issues have still not been fully addressed.
Can something change for the better this time?
There is cautious optimism. The bids, especially from a global player like Genius Sports, show that the ISL still has value.
But Indian football has reached this point before also. The difference this time will depend on how the AIFF executes the deal. Clear communication, financial discipline and stakeholder confidence will be important.
If handled well, this could stabilize the league for the long term. If not, the risk of a repeat of last season’s chaos still exists.
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