The broadcast rights for the Indian top-flight football league, the Indian Super League (ISL), have been secured by Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI) for the 2025-26 season.
As mentioned by SportsMint Media before, FanCode, the league’s media rights holder, has sublicensed the linear television rights to SPNI, with the flagship airing on Sony Sports Ten 2.
Under the terms of this arrangement, SPNI will have exclusive television broadcast rights in India for the ISL 2025-26 season, as well as non-exclusive rights in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, the Maldives, Nepal, and Sri Lanka.
AIFF Deputy Secretary General M Satyanarayan, said, “This partnership reflects AIFF’s commitment to broadening the footprint of ISL. With FanCode driving digital innovation and Sony Pictures Networks bringing unparalleled television reach, we want to ensure that fans of every age group can watch the ISL at their convenience.”
SPNI Chief Revenue Officer and Business Head, Sports and International, Rajesh Kaul, said, “It is a moment of pride for Sony Pictures Networks to welcome the Indian Super League to the Home of Football in India. Nearly 100 million viewers watched football on our sports channels in 2025, underlining the growing appetite for the sport in the country. This partnership brings the excitement of homegrown football talent and fierce rivalries to millions of fans across the country, while reaffirming our commitment to expanding the football ecosystem in India.”
FanCode, Co-founder Yannick Colaco, said, “We are delighted to partner with Sony Pictures Networks for the telecast of ISL. This partnership is part of our commitment to ensure the widest possible distribution for ISL. By combining Sony Pictures Networks’ television expertise with FanCode’s digital-first approach, we are creating a strong multi-platform ecosystem that guarantees fans can catch every moment of the action.”
Although Sony Pictures Networks India did not initially participate in the major media rights bidding process for the ISL, the network was said to be in advanced talks with FanCode shortly after FanCode obtained the rights. According to industry sources, Sony chose to pursue a sublicensing path rather than a competitive bidding war, allowing it to grow its football portfolio while utilising FanCode’s digital-first strategy.
The ISL 2025-26 season will begin on 14 February 2026. The season will have 91 high-octane matches in a new single-leg round-robin format. The first match will be between defending champions Mohun Bagan Super Giant (MBSG) hosting Kerala Blasters (KBFC) at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata.
