The Indian Super League has garnered attention from broadcasting players such as Sports18, Star Sports, and Sony Sports that are competing for the broadcasting rights of the football league for both TV and the internet.
A report from Football Express states that each company also has OTT platform—JioTV, Disney+HotStar, and SonyLiv, respectively to secure the digital streaming rights as well.
For the first time, ISL has floated an invitation to tender for the media rights for its tenth edition, reports Times of India.
Octagon, a media rights agency headquartered in the United States, has been entrusted with overseeing the enclosed bidding process. Insider information as quoted by Times of India suggests that the tender has been extended to encompass the national team’s home games, which encompass three qualifiers for the Fifa World Cup 2026 scheduled to take place during the international windows of November, March, and June. Football Sports Development Ltd (FSDL), the proprietors of ISL, have assumed the role of marketing partners for the All India Football Federation.
Since its establishment in 2014, ISL has been broadcasted by Star Sports in numerous languages. A brainchild of FSDL, ISL is co-owned by Reliance Industries Ltd (65 percent) and Disney Star (35 percent).
Following the conclusion of Disney Star’s five and four-year broadcast rights agreement last season, FSDL has initiated the process of soliciting tenders. FSDL has communicated this global tender to all stakeholders, anticipating the selection of a broadcaster within the forthcoming 15 to 20 days.
The upcoming edition of ISL, projected to commence in the final week of September, will feature 12 teams for the first time since its inception. Initially introduced as an eight-franchise three-month league,
Punjab FC will debut in this edition after securing qualification by clinching victory in the I-League, India’s second-tier football league competition.