After months of uncertainty, fixtures for the 2025-2026 Indian Super League (ISL) have been announced. The action will kick off on February 14, five months after it was supposed to begin. This gives fans a long-awaited chance to re-engage with the league. This includes watching matches live, following their clubs closely, or exploring match-related offers like a special Stake promo code in India ahead of the new season.
The All India Football Federation (AIFF) has now made a final decision by selecting the Dream Sports-owned FanCode as its new partner. While the action can now begin, there’s still much uncertainty about the future viability of the league.
The start of the uncertainty
JioStar was the previous media rights holder and it stepped away after being the exclusive broadcaster for the previous two seasons. It was a key figure in the ISL expansion phase. A big goal was to reach mobile-first audiences in India.
However, it ultimately never finalized a long-term commercial agreement with the AIFF. The organization also didn’t renew its master agreements with commercial partner Football Sports Development Limited, which expired after 15 years in December. Negotiations had stalled.
This created huge uncertainty about funding, broadcasting, and general league operations. The knock-on impact was a delay to the season starting, and Odisha FC, Chennaiyin FC, and Bengaluru FC suspended the salaries of players due to the ongoing uncertainty. Referees also warned they might have to seek alternative employment due to the delays.
The AIFF had to issue a snap tender to find a new broadcaster partner. That resulted in FanCode getting a deal at a much lower value and for a shorter season.
The deal last season was worth ₹275 crore for 163 matches, while FanCode is covering 91 matches for ₹8.62 crore.
Manchester City’s City Football Group leaves the ISL
Amid the ongoing uncertainty, City Football Group (CFG) decided to exit its ownership stake in Mumbai City FC. The Manchester City owner confirmed on December 26 that it fully divested its position.
That meant that control over the football team went back to businessman Bimal Parekh and Bollywood actor Ranbir Kapoor, who were co-founders of the club in 2014. They were the successful bidders for the eighth team in the first-ever ISL season. CFG bought a 65% stake in November 2019.
CFG first entered Mumbai City in 2019 and the exit last month is the first time it’s left a club since its global football network started in 2013. It also has notable teams like Manchester City in England, Girona in Spain, Palermo in Italy, New York City in the US, and Melbourne City in Australia.
Reports suggest that the departure is closely tied to the crisis in Indian football, especially with uncertainty over the delayed 2025-2026 season. Financial pressures continue as the league looks at ways to counter falling revenues.
A new season begins
While the 2025-2026 ISL season was supposed to begin in September, it has been delayed month after month. The AIFF has now announced the full fixtures, with the action starting on February 14 when the defending champions Mohun Bagan Super Giant play the Kerala Blasters.
As part of the shortened season, the 14 teams will each play 13 matches. Whoever finishes at the top of the table will then be deemed the champions. The AIFF won’t announce the last round of fixtures until the standings are clearer, so that matches of consequence can all begin at the same time. This will be in mid-May. Under the new FanCode agreement, people will be able to watch every match through livestreams.
While the return of the ISL brings much-needed clarity after months of disruption, bigger questions remain about the league’s long-term stability. At least fans now have dates, fixtures, and a way to watch games.
However, the shortened season and reduced broadcast deal show how fragile Indian football has become. Fans, players, and team owners will all be watching closely to see if the ISL can bounce back and rebuild trust in the coming months.
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