3 min readNew DelhiMar 27, 2026 11:49 PM IST
The All India Football Federation (AIFF) has received two bids for the commercial rights of the Indian Super League (ISL) and Federation Cup, with Genius Sports making a bid of Rs 2129 crore over 20 years and FanCode making a bid of Rs 1190 crore. Capri Sports has made a bid of Rs 150 crore for 20 years for the Indian Women’s League and the Indian Women’s League 2.
Genius Sports, the official data feed provider for the English Premier League, the Championship, and the Scottish league, has proposed approximately Rs 106.45 crore per year, which is almost double what FanCode is offering. Capri Sports is the lone bidder for the rights of both women’s tournaments. The bids have been submitted for a 15-year term with a provision for an additional five-year extension, with the bidder having the right of first refusal.
“We have received two bids for the Indian Super League and Federation Cup. Genius Sports has offered Rs 2129 crore for both tournaments over the period of 20 years, while FanCode has offered close to Rs 1190 crore for the same time period,” AIFF Deputy General Secretary M. Satyanarayan told The Indian Express about the bids. “We had a long meeting with ISL clubs as well, and we will have a decision on the 29th of this month during the meeting of the Executive Committee,” he further added.
The bids for the commercial rights were opened after the truncated ISL season began on February 14, following the end of the long-term impasse between AIFF and their former commercial partners, Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL). The ongoing ISL season features 91 games, and the total cost for the 2025-26 season has been pegged at around Rs 24 crore. The ISL clubs would share 60 per cent of the financial cost (around Rs 1 crore per club) for the 2025-26 season of the league, while the AIFF’s contribution would be around Rs 9 crore.
Earlier, the impasse started after the expiration of the Master Rights Agreement between AIFF and FSDL, which led to the suspension of the league, creating a big crisis in the already troubled Indian footballing ecosystem. After the clubs pleaded and the Sports Ministry intervened, the tournament resumed last month.
One of the club officials, on the condition of anonymity, told The Indian Express that they are reviewing the proposals and, despite a long meeting with the AIFF on both proposals, no concrete results have come yet. “After the technical and the commercial bids, we had a long discussion with the federation, but there hasn’t been a concrete result. There is an Executive Committee meeting on March 29, and we are expecting clarity by then,” the official said.
© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd
