February 5 – The Indian Super League (ISL) finally has a broadcaster with Fancode picking up the rights for the 2025-26 season.
Organisers had issued a snap tender for ISL media rights after failing to secure a new commercial partner in the previous bidding round and the Indian FA (AIFF) selected Fancode as broadcast partner. Owned by Dream Sports, the company had submitted two bids exceeding ₹8.5 crore each ($954,000), offering options both with and without production services.
In a statement, FanCode co-founder Yannick Colaco said: “The Indian Super League is a significant addition to FanCode, as it represents the very best of Indian football. With the league’s strong and loyal fan following, we see a big opportunity to elevate how fans experience ISL through reliable, high-quality broadcast and a product designed around modern football audiences. This is in line with Dream Sports group’s overall vision of making sports better.”
The AIFF had received bids from Two Circles, Anandabazar Patrika Digital, Monarch PR Solutions, JioStar, Kaleidoscope and Sportzworks. JioStar has been the ISL’s exclusive broadcast partner in the past two seasons.
AIFF Deputy Secretary General M Satyanarayan said, “We are pleased to have concluded the ISL media rights process and to partner with FanCode, one of India’s leading sports platforms. FanCode’s focus on accessibility and fan experience aligns with our objective of expanding the league’s footprint and engaging more football fans across the country.”
Last season, the ISL’s broadcast agreement stood at Rs 275 crore ($30.4 million) for 163 matches, valuing each game at roughly Rs 1.68 crore ($186,000). In contrast, FanCode has picked up the rights for the current season for just Rs 8.62 crore ($954,000), covering a shortened 91-match season. This brings the value per match down to approximately Rs 9.5 lakh ($10,500).
The partnership between the AIFF and commercial partner Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL) ran out in December. The Indian FA decided to not renew the master agreement, causing widespread chaos, including the league’s suspension and club’s suspending payment of salaries.
In the tentative schedule, Mohun Bagan Super Giant will kick off the new season against Kerala Blasters at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata next week.
Contact the writer of this story, Samindra Kunti, at moc.l1771519980labto1771519980ofdlr1771519980owedi1771519980sni@i1771519980tnuk.1771519980ardni1771519980mas1771519980