FanCode, a Dream Sports company, has bagged the exclusive global broadcast rights for ISL 2025-26 on Monday.
City-based Kaleidoscope Production and Services (KPS Studios) will handle the production of the league.
FanCode will pay the All India Football Federation ₹8.62 crore, including ₹7 crore for production, to deliver a digital-first viewing experience and AIFF will shell out ₹5.22 crore to KPS Studios for the production cost.
The interim managing committee of ISL 2025-26 and the Request for Quotation committee selected FanCode and the production partner.
The league kicks off on February 14.
The RFQ for the media rights was floated on January 18, with the last date for submission of bid fixed as February 1, 2026.
“We are pleased to have concluded the ISL media rights process and to partner with FanCode, one of India’s leading sports platforms. 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,” AIFF deputy secretary general M Satyanarayan said in a media release.
“The Indian Super League is a significant addition to FanCode as it represents the very best of Indian football,” FanCode co-founder Yannick Colaco said.
KPS had previously handled the production of I-League, Durand Cup,
and Bengal Super League matches.
There is a question mark over whether matches would be telecast as FanCode is a strictly streaming entity.
“FanCode has bagged production, television and digital rights. But it does not have a television channel. Now FanCode will have to find a channel which will have to be approved by the federation and the clubs,” a senior AIFF official told The Telegraph on Monday evening.
At the end of Sunday’s deadline, the AIFF received seven bids, including from JioHotstar. The Reliance-backed company was interested only in the digital section, and according to sources offered just ₹5 crore.
JioHotstar was the exclusive broadcast partner of the ISL for the last two seasons and its parent company was the commercial partner of the AIFF from 2010 to 2025 December. The Supreme Court, in its September 19, 2025, verdict had said the ISL would be henceforth owned, managed and operated by the AIFF.
Monday’s development should be a boost for AIFF because last year, when it floated an RFQ to rope in a commercial partner, there were no takers.
“From April 30, 2026, there has been a concerted effort to show Indian football and the AIFF in a poor light.
“Doomsayers said the league would not happen, they blamed a weak leadership for all the ills, and a lot more. The AIFF has proved critics wrong. We have FanCode on board and has given the production rights to a competent company,” a senior AIFF official said.
The delayed ISL, which has been paused for more than four months, will restart on February 14 in a truncated version with a total of 91 matches set to be played on home and away basis. Each club will play 13 matches.
With the selection of media partners, the fixtures of the top-tier league will be officially announced soon.
A tentative schedule has already been prepared by the AIFF in which last season’s ISL double winners Mohun Bagan Super Giant play Kerala Blasters on the first day.