FanCode secures exclusive broadcast rights for ISL 2025–26

New Delhi: The All India Football Federation (AIFF) has awarded the exclusive global television and digital broadcast rights for the truncated Indian Super League (ISL) 2025–26 season to FanCode, following a competitive bidding process involving seven entities.

Kaleidoscope Production and Services (KPS Studios) has been appointed as the league’s production partner for both domestic and global coverage. The interim Managing Committee of the ISL and the RFQ committee finalised the selection of the broadcast and production partners.

The AIFF had issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) on January 18, with bids opened on Monday after the submission deadline closed on Sunday. According to sources, FanCode secured the global broadcast rights for Rs 8.62 crore.

Sony Sports and Zee Sports, which had reportedly shown initial interest, did not submit final bids. Other bidders included UK-based Two Circles, Anandabazar Patrika (ABP), JioStar, Monarch with PR Solutions, and Sportzworks.

In a statement, the AIFF said, “FanCode, a Dream Sports company, has been awarded the exclusive global broadcast rights for the Indian Super League (ISL), marking a significant step in strengthening access to Indian football for fans across the country.”
It added, “Kaleidoscope Production and Services (KPS Studios) will handle the production of the league.”

“With this acquisition, FanCode will deliver a digital-first viewing experience for ISL fans.”
The ISL 2025–26 season, which had been paused for over four months, will resume on February 14 in a truncated format. A total of 91 matches will be played on a home-and-away basis, with each club featuring in 13 matches.

With media partners now confirmed, the official fixture list is expected to be announced shortly. A tentative schedule has already been prepared by the AIFF.

Commenting on the outcome of the media rights process, AIFF Deputy Secretary General M Satyanarayan said, “We are pleased to have concluded the ISL media rights process and to partner with FanCode, one of India’s leading sports platforms.”

He added, “FanCode’s focus on accessibility and fan experience aligns with our objective of expanding the league’s footprint and engaging more football fans across the country.”
FanCode co-founder Yannick Colaco said, “The Indian Super League is a significant addition to FanCode as it represents the very best of Indian football.”

He further said, “With the league’s strong and loyal fan following, we see a big opportunity to elevate how fans experience ISL through reliable, high-quality broadcast and a product designed around modern football audiences. This is in line with Dream Sports group’s overall vision of making sports better.”

FanCode currently holds broadcast partnerships across multiple sporting properties, including Formula 1, LaLiga, MotoGP, Cricket West Indies, the PGA Tour, and international cricket leagues such as Super Smash, the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) and ILT20.

The ISL season was earlier disrupted after its former organiser and AIFF’s commercial partner, Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL), terminated the Master Rights Agreement on December 8 following disagreements over renewal terms. A subsequent tender for a new commercial partner, floated under the supervision of a Supreme Court-appointed committee, did not receive any bids.

Following intervention by the Union sports minister and negotiations with stakeholders, all 14 clubs have since confirmed participation in the truncated season.