AIFF releases RFP for awarding commercial rights of I-League; no mention of promotion-relegation
The I-League season has not started yet.
The All India Football Federation (AIFF) has made a major move towards paving the way for the start of the new season of I-League, I-League 2, and I-League. With the Indian Super League struggling to secure its future without a commercial partner, the lower divisions are also facing an existential threat.
In an attempt to secure the future of the lower divisions of Indian Football, AIFF has released the Request for Proposal (RFP) for awarding the commercial rights of the I-League, I-League 2, and I-League 3 till the end of the 2029-30 season.
Eligibility Criteria for Bidders
AIFF has outlined eligibility criteria for all interested parties who want to bid for the commercial rights of I-League, I-League 2, and I-League 3. The Bidder must be validly incorporated under the laws of India, and if a foreign entity is interested in bidding, then it should be validly incorporated in its jurisdiction. If the entity is bidding as part of a consortium, then the lead member of such consortium should be incorporated in India or establish a subsidiary in India before the execution of the contract with the federation.
The required net worth criteria led to a lot of discussion when the Request for Proposal for commercial rights of the Indian Super League was released. To bid for the I-League, I-League 2, and I-League 3 commercial rights, the bidder must have a net worth of at least thirty crores. The figure (aggregate) is for a consortium interested in bidding.
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Rights on Offer
The winner of the bidding process will have the right to be designated as the title sponsor for each of the competitions. Not just that, but the rights holder will also have the right to distribute the Feed by licensing it for Broadcast in accordance with the terms of this RFP.
The rights holder can commercialise other elements of the broadcast as may be necessary to popularise the league and increase its bid value. Player access is another perk for the rights holder. However, the AIFF will scrutinise this, accepting all the reasonable demands from the rights holder.
A major to-do for the rights holder is the broadcast. The rights holder will have to ensure each of the matches is broadcast live. The I-League and IWL have suffered in the past due to inconsistent broadcasting.
Another major right for the rights holder will be the Right of First Refusal (ROFR). The Rights Holder will be offered an extension of the grant of Commercial Rights by AIFF upon expiry of the Term for the Competitions. AIFF shall notify the Rights Holder of any such grant opportunity twelve months before the expiration of the Term. The Rights Holder shall have the option to exercise its Right of First Refusal and negotiate to extend its acquisition of the commercial rights for a period up to six months before the expiry of the Term
Bid Evaluation
A 3-member Bid Evaluation Committee will evaluate all the bids. The Bid Evaluation Committee will be in charge of examining whether the interested party is fit to submit the bid. The financial integrity of the bidder is one of the leading criteria. The Bidder must not have been convicted by any court of a criminal offence involving moral turpitude, fraud, or financial misconduct.
The bidder must also not be involved in any litigation with the federation. The interested party should not have defaulted in the past or be blacklisted by any government authority. Only those Bidders obtaining a minimum score of fifty per cent (50%), i.e., twenty-five (25) or more points in the evaluation of their Technical Bid, would be eligible to be evaluated in the second part of the Selection Process, which is the commercial bid.
Prior experience in curating, selling, distributing and managing sponsorship, media and other commercial rights relating to multi-venue events in India will fetch a maximum of fifteen points. The aggregate amounts spent on marketing and promotional activities will also account for fifteen points.
The viewership reach of the sports television channels or streaming platforms on which the competitions are proposed to be broadcast will be evaluated for ten points. The last parameter of evaluation is also of ten points, which is the technical presentation based on the content utilisation plan and promotion & marketing plan for the matches.
Important timelines
The bids submitted by the interested parties shall be valid for forty-five days from the date of submission of the bid. The last date to seek clarifications through mail is December 5, 2025. The pre-bid conference will be conducted virtually on December 6. The deadline to submit the bid is 17:00 IST on December 13, 2025.
The following day, AIFF will open the technical bid. The timeline for the technical presentation by the bidders and the opening of commercial bids will be intimated later by the federation.
What will be the term of commercial rights of I-League, I-League 2, and I-League 3?
The commercial rights will be awarded until the end of the 2029-30 season.
What should be the net worth of interested bidders?
30 crores is the required net worth for the bidders. For the consortium of bidders, the figure is the same.
What is the deadline to submit the bid?
The deadline to submit the bid is December 17:00 IST, December 13.
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Navtej is all about narrating stories of human endeavour shaped by sporting excellence, from 22 yards to lush green pitches and buzzing arenas. With a background in broadcasting, he has a keen eye for compelling narratives that keep readers hooked. He primarily covers football and cricket, capturing the magic of two of the world’s most beloved sports.