The All India Football Federation (AIFF) is carefully considering commercial rights bids from FanCode, Genius Sports, and Capri Sports for its premier football leagues, while also addressing the implications of the National Sports Governance Act.
The Executive Committee of the All India Football Federation (AIFF) on Sunday deliberated on multiple administrative and governance matters, including the evaluation of commercial rights bids for its flagship competitions.
Three bids received for the commercial rights cycle from FanCode and Genius Sports (covering the Indian Super League and Federation Cup), and Capri Sports (for the Indian Women's League and IWL 2) were placed before the Executive Committee.
As per information received, Genius Sports has offered INR 2,129 crore for a 20-year cycle with a 5% annual increase in value.
FanCode (part of Dream Sports) submitted a significantly lower bid of INR 1,190 crore (or â¹36 crore annually) for the same 20-year period.
Capri Sports was the sole bidder for women's football with a bid between INR 150 crore to INR 160 crore for a 20-year cycle.
"After detailed deliberations, the Executive Committee decided that KPMG will prepare comprehensive comparison tables to evaluate the feasibility, financial structure and key technical aspects of the bids," the AIFF said in a statement.
To ensure greater transparency and clarity in the process, clubs associated with the respective competitions will also engage directly with the bidders to address queries and seek further details on commercial and operational aspects.
Following the preparation of the comparative analysis, the bidders will be asked to submit detailed term sheets within a defined timeline.
The matter will thereafter be placed before the AIFF General Body for final consideration, in accordance with the provisions of the federation's constitution.
The Executive Committee also discussed the implementation of the proposed National Sports Governance Act, as directed by the Government of India.
It was noted that the new regulatory framework would need to be adopted by state and district football associations.
To facilitate the transition, state associations will be given a 90-day window to study the legal and operational implications and assess the feasibility of aligning their statutes with the new governance requirements.