Indian Super League put on hold, 2025-26 season in doubt

The Indian Super League (ISL) has been put on hold after the league told the clubs and the All India Football Federation that they cannot proceed with the 2025-26 season until clarity emerges on the contractual structure beyond the end of the current Master Rights Agreement (MRA) term.

Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL), which runs the ISL, is a commercial partner of the AIFF, with whom the governing body signed a 15-year MRA in 2010. Under the current MRA, FSDL pays the AIFF Rs 50 crore annually. FSDL, in return, gets the rights to broadcast, manage and commercialise Indian football, including the national team. The ISL season usually runs from September to April and the agreement between FSDL and AIFF on the current MRA term is set to end in December this year. By this time, the campaign would enter its third month.

The FSDL said in the letter that since there is an absence of a confirmed contractual framework beyond December, they found themselves unable to effectively plan, organise or commercialise the 2025-26 season. Due to this, FSDL said that they aren't in a position to proceed with the upcoming season and the decision hasn't been taken lightly.