Viacom18 picks up rights of ISL for 2 years at base price
- Viacom18 replaces Disney Star, which had been the official broadcaster for the last nine seasons
Mumbai: Viacom18, controlled by Reliance Industries Ltd, has picked up the exclusive media rights for televising and live-streaming Indian Super League (ISL) football matches for the next two seasons.
The 10th season of the ISL is set to start on 21 September with a match between Kerala Blasters FC and Bengaluru FC in Kochi.
For the first time, India’s premier football league will be aired by Viacom18, replacing Disney Star, which had been the official broadcaster for the last nine seasons.
Mint had reported on 21 July that Disney Star will not renew the rights of the league after the conclusion of the 2022-23 season due to persistent losses and declining viewership.
Football Sports Development Ltd (FSDL), which organizes the ISL, reported a loss of ₹46 crore in 2021-22, ₹13 crore in 2020-21 and ₹27 crore a year ago. As Disney Star’s 10-year agreement with FSDL ended this year, it urged FSDL to auction ISL’s media rights.
However, with Reliance’s stake in the league, it was clear that rival broadcasters—Sony Pictures Networks India or Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd—would not be in contention for the media rights. Sources had indicated the media rights would go to Viacom18 from this season.
Reliance owns 65% in FSDL while the remaining 35% is with Disney Star.
Later, FSDL roped in sports agency Octagon to oversee the auction process. It kept ₹275 crore as the base price for every season ( ₹550 crore for the two-year rights). The agreement can be extended by up to three more years.
According to people in the know, FSDL got only two bids and awarded the media rights at the base price.
Neither FSDL nor Viacom18 disclosed the size of the deal.
According to a Viacom18 media statement, in the past decade, ISL has proven to be a “driving force” behind the overall development of football in India both on and off the field. “In next phase of growth, Viacom18 will be the perfect partner to take ISL to a larger audience, with its strong digital capability and connect with new-age sports fans,” it added.
Viacom18’s digital streaming platform JioCinema will stream ISL for free. It had also streamed the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 and the 2023 Indian Premier League.
“We are pleased to have Viacom18 as the media rights partner for ISL,” said an FSDL spokesperson. “When we set out on our journey, we had the vision to revolutionize the Indian football ecosystem. As we enter our 10th year of growing football in India, it is great to associate with a partner who shares the same vision and believes in growing consumption of football in the country. Viacom18’s proven record and its impact in offering a fan-first football experience to the Indian audience, starting with the FIFA Football World Cup, makes them the best partner as we enter the next decade.”
A Viacom18 Media spokesperson said: “Winning streaming and broadcast rights to the ISL is a big step forward for us for 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.”
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First Published:7 Sep 2023, 09:25 PM IST
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