Indian football stand-off appears over as AIFF hands ISL commercial rights to clubs
AIFF has handed Indian Super League commercial rights to its clubs under a four-year club-led model, ending months of uncertainty and setting up a full home-and-away 2026/27 season.
The All India Football Federation has agreed to transfer Indian Super League commercial rights to the clubs under a four-year structure designed to stabilise India’s top football competition.The agreement moves the ISL towards a club-led commercial model, with the AIFF retaining administrative control and oversight of key operational areas.AIFF deputy secretary general M Satyanarayan said: “From our side, we are very committed to making this league one of the best in Asia.”The structure ends a period of uncertainty over the ISL’s future after disputes around commercial control, league costs and the proposed role of external rights holders.The clubs will now hold responsibility for the league’s commercial rights and are expected to issue a request for proposal to secure a broadcast partner.They will also work on sponsorship sales, creating a model in which clubs have greater control over revenues, costs and market positioning.Mandar Tamhane, chief executive of NorthEast United FC, said: “It will be a broadcast-driven model. We are moving towards a club-led model because both the clubs and the AIFF believe it is the right approach from the perspective of long-term commercial and financial sustainability.”The AIFF will write to all 14 clubs asking them to confirm participation for the 2026/27 season.The new campaign is expected to be played as a full home-and-away league rather than a shortened format.FC Goa chief executive Ravi Puskur said: “We will have a full-fledged season where every team will play their respective home and away games in a full quota rather than having to play a truncated format.”The competition calendar will be built around FIFA men’s international windows in September, October, November and March.It will also take account of AFC club competition schedules, with FC Goa and East Bengal involved in continental tournaments.The arrangement gives clubs a stronger hand in building the ISL’s media and sponsorship proposition, but also increases their exposure to execution risk.They must now secure broadcast distribution, commercial partners and operational alignment quickly enough to support the new season.The agreement also reflects the AIFF’s need to comply with recent Supreme Court directions and India’s new National Sports Governance Act.The four-year model gives Indian football a temporary commercial framework while the federation, clubs and other stakeholders assess a longer-term structure for the ISL.