From no bids, ISL set to get Rs 2.1k cr

PANAJI : The All India Football Federation (AIFF) is likely to accept a bid of Rs 64.4 crore annually with five per cent increase every year — totalling approx. Rs 2,130 crore across 20 years — for commercial rights of the top-tier Indian Super League (ISL) and Federation Cup, the country’s premier cup competition.When bids for the two top properties in men’s football was opened on Friday, AIFF had two interested parties. London-based Genius Sports bid $7 million annually (approx. Rs 64 crore), while FanCode’s bid was for Rs 36.6 crore. The bids though were structured differently. “Genius are putting big money on the table, investing in the league, while FanCode is clubcentric, focused on how clubs can get revenues faster,” said a senior club official.FanCode had secured the rights for the current ISL season for Rs 8.6 crore. This season has a truncated league, played in a single-leg format with only 13 games for each team.“Genius is offering approximately Rs 2,130 crore over 20 years, while Capri Sports will pay approximately Rs 160 crore for the Indian Women’s League and IWL 2,” AIFF deputy secretary general M Satyanarayan told TOI on Friday. “We will now place the proposals before the executive committee (on Sunday) for a decision. Everything will be placed before the executive committee.”