ISL clubs team up with FanCode for digital first content

Panaji: After winning exclusive broadcast rights for the Indian Super League (ISL), FanCode had plenty on their hands. There were just a dozen-odd days left for the top tier league to kick off, and at a time when nothing seemed certain, nobody knew what to expect.

FanCode didn’t panic. Instead, they met club representatives and tried to understand what was expected of them to make the country’s top football league more engaging, and attractive.


“For the first few days, we met all ISL clubs individually to understand their pain points, get insights and understand how they worked with their fan clubs,” co-founder Yannick Colaco told TOI over a video call from Mumbai on Thursday. “One of the things you’ll see is that we are going to be a lot more liberal in content on social media and club platforms. We are a digital first platform, that's what we were built for. Our focus is always on how we can connect with and engage young consumers using the digital platform, using things that they are comfortable with.”

FanCode has now got ISL clubs on board for digital first content. In the words of Colaco, the company is “looking at content in a slightly different way, not the traditional coverage, something the young audiences don't necessarily identify with.”

Instead, stories will be told of what's happening at the club from the perspective of the club's super fan. Kerala Blasters, SC Delhi, FC Goa, NorthEast United, Mumbai City, Jamshedpur FC and Bengaluru FC have all signed up for an innovative programme called Vox Up ISL.

“We are going to work with each club to run a selection process and nominate one fan who will be their digital creator. The fan will be on the club bus, travel with the team, and create content. They can give it to us and we will package it. We want to present the clubs and their football from the perspective of people who love it the most,” said Colaco.

ISL will also have commentary in multiple languages with English, Hindi, Malayalam, Bengali in focus, while Tamil will be used for games involving former champions Chennaiyin FC.

“It’s important to connect with fans and tell stories in a language the fans are comfortable with,” said Colaco.

FanCode has held talks with multiple channels for ISL broadcast and is likely to announce the television partner within the next 24 hours.

“We are a digital first platform, so our focus is always on digital. The ISL has viewers who consume on television. The traditional sponsors want games on TV too. We’ve been very open and tried to find the best partner, who provides reach and promotes to raise the level of ISL. We had a lot of interest, including from regional partners.

“For international partners, we are working with multiple people across various markets. We have potential partners in the Middle East, Europe, Australia. The discussions are ongoing and it should get confirmed in the next 24 to 48 hours,” said Colaco.Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Valentine's day wishes, messages and gift idea !