November 4: The Indian Football League (IFL), the second tier of the Indian football pyramid, has signed a multi-platform broadcast deal with Zee Entertainment Enterprises and DD Sports for the 2026-27 season.
DD Sports will show all the matches on TV, with additional coverage on Zee Sports Network. All games will also be streamed on Z5, WAVES and the Unite8 Sports YouTube channel, including a free-to-play option for fans.
“With Zee also joining as broadcast partners and all matches available on various digital and television platforms, we are taking a major step towards making the league more accessible to audiences across India,” said IFL CEO Nildeep Mondal.
Bavesh Janavlekar, Chief Business Officer, Zee Sports Network, said, “For Indian football, the opportunity is to reach the right fans, wherever they are. This is a long-term commitment.”
Larsing LD Sawyan, Managing Director of Shillong Lajong FC, made a bold claim. “Last year’s inaugural IFL had 1.6 times the viewership of the ISL (Indian Super League),” he said. “We are confident that this season’s revolutionary club model will usher in a new era for Indian national football.”
The league recorded a television audience of 17.56 million last season.
The deal comes at a pivotal time for Indian football. The ISL was relaunched this autumn under its own club-led model, with Sony returning as broadcaster and YouTube streaming internationally. Both leagues are now competing for audiences and sponsors, and both are betting heavily on free digital access to reach fans.
The combination of DD Sports live and free-to-air streaming gives the IFL a wide reach in a country where pay TV and subscription streaming remain beyond many households.
The 2026-27 season features 11 clubs, each playing 20 home and away games. It started on October 30 and will run until March 20, 2027.
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