New Delhi: On one hand the All India Football Federation compiled club profiles, on the other they boycotted the I-League a day before its commencement, making the irony too big to be ignored.
The clubs said that absence of a broadcast deal even 24 hours before kick-off on Friday, after months of discussions and negotiations, along with other teething issues like hefty fines over licensing criteria compliance, made it financially unviable for them to play in Indian football’s second division.
The AIFF, after initial resistance from its executive committee members, had handed marketing rights of the I-League and four other national tournaments to Shrachi Sports for 2024-25 on Monday for Rs 2.5 crore, setting a two-day deadline for the Kolkata-based company to rope in a broadcaster, who would be duty bound to show 50 per cent of the 132 matches.
But it was only on Thursday, three days after approving the lone bid, that AIFF and Shrachi signed on the documents, which stated that I-League matches needed to be shown on a linear TV channel and an OTT platform.
Demand for Sony Network
I-League clubs wanted telecast of matches on Sony Network, who had set a condition of top-quality production with at least six cameras and wanted to keep a portion of advertisement revenue.
Shrachi had been keen on public broadcaster DD Sports, which would have ensured them of keeping the entire amount coming from adverts, which is where the deadlock arose.
Clubs claimed to have agreed to pay Rs 10 lakh each, to shoulder part of the production cost, to bring Sony onboard. But said since neither AIFF nor Shrachi could make it happen, they are forced to stay away from the league.
Shrachi had recently launched an OTT app named SSEN to live stream matches, beginning with the tournament opener between hosts Sreenidi Deccan and Gokulam Kerala in Hyderabad on Friday.
Gokulam are in Hyderabad awaiting everything to fall in place and the competition to begin as per schedule.
𝗜-𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗚𝗨𝗘 is BACK and it’s ONLY on 𝗦𝗦𝗘𝗡!
Starts on 22nd November! Catch all the epic action LIVE on SSEN.
Download SSEN now:https://t.co/pDi2C6rtFz – Android https://t.co/KLrYQzHyvN – iOS#SSEN #ILeagueOnSSEN #AllThingsSports #OTT pic.twitter.com/J8YsPLT9VC
— SSEN (@ssen_live) November 21, 2024
“We are launching (the I-League) on SSEN tomorrow. Our production team on ground is ready. And our app is ready too. DD (Doordarshan) has also confirmed in principal. But clubs are arm twisting for Sony. Why oppose national broadcaster that has more reach,” Rahul Todi, managing director of Shrachi Sports, told News9 Sports.
The clubs, however, claim that they are only demanding what is just and promised by AIFF president Kalyan Chaubey, who is yet to speak on the matter.
“I-League clubs are not refusing to play the league, we are willing, ready and on stand-by to play our matches as soon as we receive confirmation of Sony Network broadcasting the league, even if this means that the league may need to be delayed by few weeks,” I-League Clubs Association wrote in a letter to Chaubey on Thursday.
I-League clubs said if hthe issue isn’t resolved to their satisfaction, they could seek legal recourse after spending a cumulative Rs 20 crore in preparation for the tournament.
The countdown begins! ⏳
I-League 2024-25 fixtures are out, and it’s time to gear up for non-stop football action! 💥
For more details⬇️https://t.co/n8qlBmMzr1#IndianFootball ⚽️ pic.twitter.com/aX624WHCQ8
— I-League (@ILeague_aiff) October 24, 2024
AIFF officials have said a major chunk of the problem lies with the clubs, at least five of whom who have struggled to identify their home venues this time. They also have not even completed registration proceedings of minimum of 20 players and refused to pay the Rs 7 lakh entry fee citing the prevailing uncertainty.
Sony Network hasn’t yet commented on the matter, nor has announced bidding for broadcast rights, though it is understood that no concrete discussion has happened with them in the last couple of days.
I-League clubs said it’s not financially appealing for them to play in the competition without Sony Network broadcasting matches, as promised by the AIFF. Football Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
