Financial sustainability in focus as ISL moves to club-led model

The All India Football Federation (AIFF) announced on Wednesday that the commercial rights of the Indian Super League (ISL) have been handed over to the 14 participating clubs ahead of the 2026-27 season. The agreement between the AIFF and teams will see the ISL move to a club-run model for the next four years.

“We are giving the clubs the commercial rights for this league. The AIFF shall hold on to the administrative aspects of organising the league,” M. Satyanarayan, AIFF’s deputy secretary general, said in his opening remarks at a press conference. “Over the next 24 hours, we will send a letter to all the clubs giving them two weeks to confirm their participation for next season,” he later added.

The development follows long-standing uncertainty surrounding the top tier of Indian football. The 2025-26 season was in limbo for many months amid the expiry of the Master Rights Agreement (MRA) between the AIFF and Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL) and a protracted legal battle. It was eventually held in a truncated format from February to May.

The 2026-27 edition will return to a full-fledged, home-and-away arrangement. The organisers are aiming to start the new campaign on September 4.

Mandar Tamhane, CEO of NorthEast United FC, said that the club-led model is followed by established leagues around the world. “It is uncharted territory for all of us. Hopefully, it will be beneficial for everybody involved,” Tamhane said.

According to Ravi Puskur, CEO of FC Goa, financial sustainability of the league has to be the key focus going forward. “The entire process has to be driven by that. It has to be run based on how much money the clubs can recover,” Puskur felt. “It is our intention to put out a Request for Proposal (RFP) to get a broadcaster on board as soon as possible. That is our next priority.”

While the agreement is for four years, the clubs have been granted the option of exiting this framework at the end of two years. “The way the clubs have come forward and shown confidence, I don’t see that happening,” Satyanarayan said optimistically.