Sony Pictures Network (SPN), a prominent Indian pay-TV broadcaster, has secured a sub-licensing deal with streaming service FanCode. This agreement grants SPN the linear TV rights to broadcast the country's top-flight domestic soccer league, the Indian Super League (ISL).
Under this new agreement, SPN will broadcast live ISL fixtures on its Sony Sports Ten 2 channel. The rights cover India exclusively and extend to Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka on a non-exclusive basis.
FanCode co-founder, Yannick Colaco, said:
“This partnership is part of our commitment to ensure the widest possible distribution for ISL. By combining Sony Pictures Networks’ television expertise with FanCode’s digital-first approach, we are creating a strong multi-platform ecosystem that guarantees fans can catch every moment of the action."
SPN chief revenue and business head for sports and internationa, Rajesh Kaul, said:
“It is a moment of pride for Sony Pictures Networks to welcome the Indian Super League to the Home of Football in India. Nearly 100 million viewers watched football on our sports channels in 2025, underlining the growing appetite for the sport in the country. This partnership brings the excitement of homegrown football talent and fierce rivalries to millions of fans across the country, while reaffirming our commitment to expanding the football ecosystem in India.”
Expanding SPN's rights portfolio
This deal further expands SPN's impressive portfolio of soccer rights which includes UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA European Championships 2028, UEFA Nations League, Germany’s Bundesliga and England’s FA Cup. Domestically it also showcases India’s annual Durand Cup tournament.
The agreement commenced with the February 14 kick-off fixture between Mohun Bagan SG and Kerala Blasters. The remainder of the shortened season will run through May 17 after being suspended in July before it was scheduled to begin.
The revised plan covers broadcasting of thirteen ISL games per team (91 in total) alongside three Indian Super Cup games per team - making it sixteen games per team for this season.
Suspension of ISL and role of Football Sports Development Limited
The suspension of ISL since July occurred when Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL), the operator and commercial partner of the competition stepped back from its role. This resulted in no master rights agreement for a promoter or organizer leading to All India Football Federation (AIFF) running a domestic media rights tender itself. FanCode emerged victorious from that tender process, securing exclusive global rights in a deal announced earlier this month. The service outbid six other contenders, including previous rightsholder JioStar, for domestic linear and digital rights for the 2025-26 season.
Kaleidoscope Production Services (KPS Studios) has been awarded the production rights for the competition’s world feed. FanCode's winning bid was reportedly 8.62 crore rupees ($939,000), significantly less than the 275 crore rupees ($29.98 million) per season paid by media giant Jiostar over the last two seasons due to ongoing operational issues faced by AIFF.
This new agreement between SPN and FanCode marks an exciting development in Indian soccer broadcasting landscape and promises to bring top-flight domestic soccer action closer to fans across India and neighboring countries.
