The All India Football Federation has invited bids for the commercial rights of Indian football, setting a base annual fee of Rs 37.5 crore or 5% of total revenue — whichever is higher. FSDL, the previous rights holder, used to give Rs 50 crore per year. The agreement, to be valid for 15 years, will cover the federation’s top-tier league, which will feature 12 to 14 teams.
The bidding process was officially announced on Thursday, a day after the Supreme Court’s deadline to complete the process. The AIFF’s move comes amid growing interest from stakeholders and questions from several ISL clubs about the league’s future structure.
According to the tender, any company wishing to bid must have a minimum net worth of Rs 250 crore as of the end of the 2024–25 financial year. In case of consortiums, the combined net worth of all partners must meet the same threshold. The bids will be opened on November 5. Queries and clarifications can be submitted until October 21.
Promotion and Relegation from 2025-26
The new league cycle will kick off in December 2025, marking the start of a promotion and relegation system. At the end of the 2025–26 season, one club will move up from the second division and one will drop down.
A joint governing council including AIFF officials and representatives from the bid-winning company, will oversee league operations. They can decide on adding more teams in the future. Teams that face relegation will receive financial assistance to help cushion losses based on their time spent in the top division.
Share of Revenue and Salary Cap
The company securing the rights will have to share a portion of its income through a Central Revenue Pool — 2.5% of gross revenue for the first five years and 5% for the remaining 10.
Clubs will also need to maintain a salary cap of Rs 18 crore for player wages. In addition, 70% of the grassroots development funds contributed by the rights holder must be distributed equally among all participating teams.
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