Viacom18, the media and entertainment arm of Reliance Industries, has announced that it has bagged the exclusive media rights for the Indian Super League (ISL), India’s premier football league, across Digital and Linear TV platforms. This marks the end of Star Sports’ monopoly over the ISL broadcasting rights, which it had held since the inception of the league in 2014.
The ISL, which is co-organised by the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and the Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL), is the first professional football league in India to be recognized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). The league features 12 teams from different cities and regions of India, competing for the coveted trophy and a spot in the AFC Champions League.
Viacom18 will telecast the ISL matches live on its flagship sports channel Sports18, and may also telecast them on its regional channels in multiple languages such as Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Bengali, and Marathi. The matches will also be streamed for free on JioCinema, the digital platform of Reliance Jio. The deal has been signed for the next two seasons, that is, until March 2025.
Viacom18 Media Private Limited’s spokesperson stated after announcing the deal, “Winning the streaming and broadcast rights to the ISL is a big step forward for us in the direction of building a glittering stable of footballing action. The ISL has led the resurgence of Indian football in recent years, and coming on board with the league as the exclusive media partner enables us to contribute to the development of the sport in the country. We believe this is an exciting time in Indian football, and through our extensive presentation of the league, we aim to stoke a renewed interest in the heart of every Indian football lover.”
The 10th season of the ISL is set to kick off on September 21 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi, with a blockbuster clash between rivals Kerala Blasters FC and Bengaluru FC. The league will run until March 2024, with more than 130 matches to be played across several venues spread across India.