FanCode and Genius Sports have submitted proposals for the commercial rights related to the ISL and the Federation Cup (or Super Cup), while Capri Sports has made bids for the commercial rights of both the Indian Women’s League first division and the Indian Women’s League 2.
Reports indicate that Genius Sports, the official data provider for the English Premier League, Championship, and Scottish league, has made a bid of Rs 2129 crore for 20 years.
In contrast, FanCode’s bid was around Rs 1190 crore, nearly half that of the London-based Genius Sports.
Capri Sports stands as the sole bidder for the commercial rights of the Indian Women’s League first division and IWL 2, with a bid of Rs 150 crore over 20 years, according to sources.
“The AIFF initiated the bidding process for the Request for Proposal (RFP) concerning Commercial Rights Relating to Competitions and Properties Owned by AIFF. Bids were sought for the Indian Super League (ISL), Federation Cup (previously Super Cup), Indian Women’s League (IWL), and IWL 2,” the AIFF stated in a release.
“Three organizations submitted bids. FanCode and Genius Sports competed for the commercial rights of the ISL and Federation Cup, while Capri Sports placed bids for the commercial rights of the Indian Women’s League and IWL 2.
“Bids are being sought for a 15-year term, with an option for a five-year extension, allowing the bidder the right of first refusal. The proposal also stipulates a five percent annual increase in value over the agreement’s duration.” The bid evaluation report will be presented to the AIFF Executive Committee, which will convene on Sunday, with a decision anticipated on the same day.
AIFF Deputy General Secretary M. Satyanarayan dismissed allegations linking Genius Sports to betting and bookmaking.
“Genius Sports is not a betting company. They serve as a data and statistics provider. They are associated with FIFA, AFC, and over 100 clubs,” Satyanarayan told PTI.
On March 2, the AIFF called for bids for the commercial rights of both men’s and women’s club competitions for a minimum duration of 15 years, commencing with the 2026-2027 season.
The AIFF has made available two bidding packages for men’s and women’s club competitions.
Package A includes the Indian Super League (the top men’s league) and the Federation Cup (the premier cup competition). Package B encompasses the Indian Women’s League (IWL) and IWL 2, with an option for bidders to include the Women’s Federation Cup, set to be introduced in the future.
However, the bids for the recently renamed Indian Football League (formerly I-League) were not part of the latest Request for Proposal (RFP).
Unlike previous years, this RFP was not publicly accessible; interested parties must acquire the document for Rs 2.5 lakh from the AIFF.
The recent tender process occurred amid extended uncertainty regarding the commencement of the ongoing ISL season, which began on February 14 in a truncated format.
The 2025-2026 ISL’s start was delayed by around five months due to a crisis in the country’s football, stemming from the national federation and its prior commercial partner FSDL’s inability to renew the Master Rights Agreement (MRA) past December 8 of last year.
A tender was issued by the AIFF for selecting a new commercial partner under the oversight of a Supreme Court-appointed committee, but it attracted no interested parties.
Following the intervention of the sports minister and some challenging negotiations, all 14 clubs confirmed their participation in the truncated ISL, featuring 91 matches on a home-and-away basis.
The ISL clubs will bear 60 percent of the financial burden (approximately Rs 1 crore per club) for the 2025-2026 season, with the AIFF contributing around Rs 9 crore. The total expense for the 2025-2026 season is projected to be around Rs 24 crore.
On January 18, the AIFF released the Request for Proposal (RFP) document concerning broadcast rights for the truncated ISL.
Then, on February 2, the AIFF granted the exclusive global broadcast rights of the truncated ISL 2025-26 to FanCode for Rs 8.62 crore.
Kaleidoscope Production and Services (KPS Studios) has been awarded the production rights for both global and domestic broadcasting of the league.
