Indian Super League: Sporting Development and Future Opportunities

Indian Super League poised to reach a number of key milestones

The coming 2017-18 season will see the league extended by two months and an additional two teams/franchises entering the competition. India’s capacity to host major football competitions will be further tested by the FIFA Under-17 World Cup during October 2017, which will mostly be played in ISL venues.

All signs point to a continued reliance on industrial and celebrity benefactors

A convergence of media, celebrity and business interests has been key to the success of the ISL to date. Administration of the league has also benefited from a more commercially driven approach than the officially sanctioned I-League.

Anyone looking to invest should be prepared to play a (very) long game

Anyone expecting the predictions of commercial viability within five years of the Indian Super League’s launch is certain to be disappointed. The market is huge, the potential is great, but benefactors are likely to remain critical to the sustainability of the league for the foreseeable future: ticketing income for the most successful team (Atletico de Kolkata) was less than USD1 million in 2016.

International beneficiaries remain centred on ageing talent

The case for international investment in Indian Super League teams has been tested, but remains unproven. To date, ageing players and managers are the most direct international beneficiaries of the league’s initial success.

International club and league brands have attempted to partner with ISL teams but with little tangible success

Spanish (Atletico Madrid), Dutch (Feyenoord) and Italian (Fiorentina) clubs have sought to establish high-profile partnerships with Indian Super League teams, but so far with no discernible success. Meanwhile, the efforts of Premier League teams has focused on development-based partnerships. These appear to have had a minimal direct impact to date, although the Premier League is popular in India.