New Delhi | November 9, 2025
The future of the Indian Super League (ISL), the country’s top-tier football competition, has been thrown into disarray after the All India Football Federation (AIFF) announced it had failed to receive a single bid for the league’s lucrative commercial rights. The deadline for the Request for Proposal (RFP) closed on Friday without any submission, a massive setback that has immediately triggered a crisis among participating clubs.
The AIFF issued a brief statement confirming that “No bids were received within the stipulated timeframe” for the 15-year exclusive contract, which was intended to monetise all commercial assets of the ISL. The federation, acting on a Supreme Court directive, had sought a minimum guaranteed annual fee of ₹37.5 crore, or 5% of gross revenue, from the prospective partner. The AIFF Bid Evaluation Committee, led by a retired Supreme Court judge, is scheduled to meet urgently this weekend to determine the next course of action.
Industry insiders suggest the lack of interest stems from the tender’s fundamentally unsustainable structure. The proposed model, according to sources familiar with the process, required the commercial partner to absorb all financial risk while allowing the AIFF to retain maximum control over operational decisions. Critics argue that the guaranteed fees, coupled with mandatory financial commitments for high-cost infrastructure like VAR implementation and match production, made the venture commercially unviable, predicting losses of up to ₹200 crore annually for any potential partner.
The failure has immediately impacted the club ecosystem. Reigning champions Mohun Bagan Super Giant announced the indefinite suspension of all first-team football activities, citing the lack of clarity on the league’s schedule. Kerala Blasters FC CEO Abhik Chatterjee shared the widespread concern, stating the situation has left the club “sort of paralysed” and “directionless,” raising fears among players and staff about their immediate future.\
Furthermore, in a dramatic plea for help, East Bengal FC executive Debabrata Sarkar publicly urged the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI)—the world’s wealthiest cricket body—to intervene and provide financial support to “rescue Indian football.”
The AIFF now faces the challenging task of rapidly restructuring its commercial model to be more attractive and equitable to investors. Until a viable path forward is established, the start of the ISL season, already delayed, remains deeply uncertain, casting a long shadow over the sport’s development in India.
