ISL Finds A New Home: FanCode Bags Broadcast Rights For 2025-26 Truncated Season
In a move to expand the reach of Indian football, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) has awarded FanCode the exclusive global broadcast rights for the Indian Super League (ISL) 2025-26 season. The announcement, made on Monday, February 2, 2026, marks a significant shift in the media landscape of the league. The 2025-26 season is set to commence on February 14.
FanCode, a Dream Sports company, secured the rights after a competitive bidding process, surpassing bids from major industry players such as JioStar and Anandabazar Patrika (ABP). This acquisition underscores FanCode's growing prominence in the Indian sports streaming ecosystem. According to reports, FanCode's winning bid was over ₹8.5 crore. The specific amount FanCode bid is INR 8.62 crore for the entire season, which includes broadcasting all 91 matches.
The AIFF believes that FanCode's focus on accessibility and fan experience aligns with the objective of expanding the league's footprint and engaging more football fans across the country. FanCode aims to deliver a digital-first viewing experience for ISL fans, promising reliable, high-quality broadcast and a product designed around modern football audiences.
While FanCode will handle the broadcast, Kaleidoscope Production and Services (KPS Studios), based out of Kolkata, has won the bidding right to manage the production of the league. KPS Studios, which has experience producing I-League, Durand Cup, and Bengal Super League matches, submitted a financial bid of over ₹5.5 crore. They will be responsible for the world-feed production.
AIFF Deputy Secretary General M Satyanarayan expressed his pleasure in partnering with FanCode, emphasizing the platform's alignment with their objective of expanding the league's reach. FanCode co-founder Yannick Colaco echoed this sentiment, highlighting the opportunity to elevate the fan experience through reliable and high-quality broadcasts.
The decision to award broadcast rights to FanCode was made after the AIFF issued its Request For Proposal (RFP) on December 18 last year. Seven bids were received for the media rights, including proposals from FanCode (TV+Digital), Two Circles (TV+Digital+Production), Anandabazar Patrika Digital (Digital + Production), Monarch PR Solutions (Digital + Production), JioStar (Digital only), Kaleidoscope (Production only) and Sportzworks (Production only). After a technical round, Monarch and Two Circles were disqualified. JioStar, the previous broadcast partner and owner of the league for a decade, lost out with a financial bid of around ₹5 crore.