ISL receives only one bid for next four-season media rights cycle
ISL will be following a new club-led model from this season.
The Indian Super League (ISL)’s new club-led model era has been faced with yet another roadblock, with only one bid submitted for the league’s league’s next four-season media rights cycle.
AIFF floated the RFP for ISL 2026-27 media rights on July 25th with the deadline for submitting bids ended on Wednesday, August 12. As things stand, the ISL clubs and the All India Football Federation (AIFF) have received just one bid for the rights package.
The technical bid is now scheduled to be opened on August 14. The development comes at a crucial time for the Indian Super League, with the clubs taking greater control of the competition’s commercial and operational affairs following the end of Football Sports Development Limited’s (FSDL) Master Rights Agreement with the AIFF.
The successful bidder will secure the media rights for the upcoming four-season cycle, subject to the completion of the evaluation process.
Indian Super League media rights bidding timeline
The AIFF and the ISL clubs released the Request for Proposal (RFP) on July 25, inviting interested companies to bid for the league’s media, broadcast, digital and production rights.
The RFP offered two packages. Package A included both media rights and live production, while Package B covered the media rights without production responsibilities.
The bidding process then moved through a series of deadlines. Interested parties were given time to submit queries before the AIFF issued its responses and opened the bidding window.
The deadline to submit bids was initially set for August 8. However, the latest process has moved to the technical evaluation stage, with the technical bid now set to be opened on August 14.
The commercial bid stage will follow the technical evaluation, although the latest details do not indicate a final date for its opening.
Who was eligible to bid for ISL media rights?
The RFP laid down specific conditions for companies looking to participate in the process.
Any interested entity could purchase the RFP document by paying a non-refundable fee of ₹2 lakh, excluding applicable taxes. However, purchasing the document alone did not guarantee that a bid would be considered.
The company that purchased the RFP also had to submit the bid itself. The rights to participate could not be transferred to an affiliate or another organisation.
Bidders were also required to provide payment confirmation and company details, including their registered address, PAN and GSTIN where applicable.
The AIFF and ISL clubs will now assess the lone technical bid before moving ahead with the commercial stage.
Jamshedpur FC withdraw from ISL
The media rights process is taking place against the backdrop of significant changes to the ISL.
Jamshedpur FC recently confirmed their withdrawal from the competition after nine seasons. The Men of Steel were unable to complete the required payment and approval process before the extended July 31 deadline.
The club had initially sought additional time to pay the first ₹55 lakh instalment of the participation fee. Jamshedpur explained that its internal approval process required additional time because of the structure of its parent organisation.
However, the club eventually decided against continuing in the ISL under the new club-led model. Later, Jamshedpur FC were given an extended deadline of August 12 as well; hence, their future is unknown and will be decided in due course.
However, Jamshedpur’s departure will mean the competition will move forward without one of its founding members from the 2017 season.
ISL clubs take charge under new club-led model
The media rights process is one of the biggest tests yet for the ISL’s new commercial structure.
With FSDL’s long-term agreement with the AIFF having ended, the clubs have assumed greater responsibility for the league’s commercial and operational matters. They are now collectively working on sponsorships, licensing, media rights and other revenue streams.
The clubs have already secured major commercial agreements in the new setup.
Earlier, the ISL and EA Sports agreed on a new four-year licensing deal, ensuring the competition’s continued presence in the EA Sports FC franchise.
The league also signed a fresh four-year agreement with Sportradar worth US$6 million, approximately ₹57 crore. Under the deal, Sportradar will remain the ISL’s Data and Integrity Partner until 2030.
The Sportradar agreement is worth around US$1.5 million per season and represents an important commercial boost for the clubs.
With the media rights now attracting only one bid, the upcoming technical evaluation will be closely watched. The outcome could play a major role in determining the ISL’s financial position as it enters its first full season under the club-led structure.
How many bids have been received for the next ISL media rights cycle?
Only one bid has been received by the ISL clubs and AIFF as of the August 12 deadline.
When will the technical bid for ISL media rights be opened?
The technical bid is scheduled to be opened on August 14, 2026.
How many media rights packages were offered by the AIFF for ISL?
The RFP offered two packages. Package A included media rights and live production, while Package B excluded production responsibilities.
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A sports journalist for over 4 years, Triyasha has been covering Indian Football and Kanbaddi meticulously, She specialises in in-depth knowledge of the game, the players and the footballing infrastructure and heritage in India.