No Bidders! ISL Tender Closes With No ‘Formal Interest’ As AIFF Takes Another Body Blow

Four organisations, Football Sports Development Limited, Dream Sports- owned FanCode, Conscient Heritage Group, and an overseas consortium, demonstrated initial interest during the pre-bid conference on October 25.

But, despite early sway, none of the entities submitted formal bids. One prospective bidder was reportedly disqualified due to a conflict of interest, while others raised concerns about the tender’s financial structure and lack of clarity on league operations.

FSDL, which had previously managed ISL’s commercial rights under the Master Rights Agreement (MRA), reportedly sought detailed clarifications, submitting over 100 queries. AIFF addressed more than 230 queries and issued multiple corrigenda to modify timelines and bid criteria, yet the process still failed to secure a commitment, according to sources.

The new proposal required a minimum annual guarantee of ₹37.5 crore or 5% of gross revenue, whichever was higher, terms many deemed unrealistic given the league’s current market position. In contrast, the earlier FSDL agreement offered greater flexibility and stability for both parties.

It was reported that Mohun Bagan suspend senior team’s operations indefinitely after AIFF failed to get any bidder for the tender.

The AIFF now faces a challenging task to restructure its commercial framework, with grassroots development, national team funding, and league operations all potentially affected by the growing financial strain.