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No Bids for ISL Rights Leave AIFF Without a Commercial Partner

The collapsed tender puts league funding at risk ahead of FSDL’s December contract expiry.

Overview

  • AIFF confirmed that the ISL commercial rights tender closed on November 7 with zero submissions after a deadline extension.
  • The RFP required Rs 37.5 crore per year or 5% of gross revenue over 15 years and placed wide operational burdens on the winner, including production, prize money, VAR and grassroots.
  • Initial interest from FSDL, FanCode, Conscient Heritage Group and a foreign consortium did not translate into bids, with one party ruled out over a conflict of interest.
  • The existing FSDL arrangement, which has run the ISL since 2014, ends on December 8, leaving uncertainty over who will fund and run central league operations.
  • AIFF said its Bid Evaluation Committee will meet this weekend to decide next steps, after a process advised by KPMG and monitored by Justice L. Nageswara Rao.