Football: India’s Super League all set to kick off

Here is the big news for Indian football fans-the three month football extravaganza, Indian Super League (ISL) is expected to kick off in January 2014 & it will have a total of 8 teams from the cities of Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Guwahati, Chennai, Bangalore, Kochi, Goa, Pune in its 1st season. The teams will have 22 players including one marquee player, international stars and leading Indian footballers.

IMG-Reliance holds the All India Football Federation rights and it has joined hands with Star Sports. ISL will be developed by a joint venture between Star Sports and IMG- Reliance (30:70) which will invest over Rs 1,500 crore over the next 10 years to improve, popularize & develop the game of football in India. Star Sports Network will also be the official broadcaster for the league, and 12 week long league will be aired with Hindi & English commentary.

This is India’s 4^th franchise based sports league after Indian Badminton League, Hockey India League & Indian Premier League. Earlier there were plans to postpone I-League by All India Football Federation but I-League clubs protested against the postponement of I-League. It was decided that I-League would go on with a window for IPL-style football league.

Current I-League season is being aired on Ten Action & Ten Sports & Federation Cup will also be aired on Ten Action.

ISL is Star Sports’ 2^nd foray in Indian football, earlier in 2000-01 season ESPNStar experimented with Indian Football. In a bid to reduce its dependence on expensive cricket properties and continuing its strategy of Indian language & domestic programming Star Sports is developing other sports properties. It has already bagged Hockey India League, Indian Badminton League & Kolkata Football (on Star Jalsa).