AGENCIES
NEW DELHI: The Indian Super League (ISL) has entered into a strategic partnership with the English Premier League (EPL), the world’s most popular and successful football league to bring its best practices to India under the exchange programme.
The co-operation agreement between the Indian Super League, co-promoted by IMG-Reliance, the joint venture between IMG and Reliance Industries, Star India with support from All India Football Federation (AIFF) and the English Premier League will allow the ISL to leverage the league’s expertise in nurturing and growing a high quality football competition.
England’s Premier League is the most watched continuous annual Global sporting event in the World. Last season, 13.9 million fans attended matches with record average stadium occupancy of 95.9 per cent. Across nine months, 380 matches are viewed in 175 countries with coverage available in more than 650 million homes.
The Indian Super League, set to kick off in September 2014, will receive strategic support, advice and assistance from the Premier League to further the development of the League and its Clubs. The EPL will also assist in establishing Club governance, shaping the brand, fan engagement, defining anti-corruption and anti-doping policies for the ISL, as well as joint promotion of the ISL and Premier League Football in India.
The co-operation between the Indian Super League and the Premier League lends credence to the Indian Super League’s mission to engage the 200 million-plus Indian football fan base by showcasing a quality football offering with International standards of governance and an unparalleled viewing experience.
Indian Super League is an unrivalled Football Championship, aiming to foster local talent and feature International stars, making the game one of the Country’s flagship sports and India, a name to reckon within the global arena. ISL will feature eight franchises from Bangalore, Delhi, Goa, Guwahati, Kochi, Kolkata, Mumbai and Pune.
India is the Premier League’s number one market in terms of social media engagement, with an average reach of 1.48m Indian fans every week.
Through the alliance, Indian Super League will help Premier League and its Clubs in staging Football matches and assist in other business development initiatives in India. This will encourage exchange programmes and partnership building between Clubs of the two Leagues. Indian Super League and the Premier League will also cross-promote Football coverage on Star India’s platform to the growing Indian fan base.
AIFF President Praful Patel said he was “pleased to be a part of the strategic partnership.”
“The AIFF is extremely pleased to be a part of the strategic partnership between the EPL and the ISL. This is an outstanding opportunity for the ISL to build from the very best in the business when it comes to running a highly successful league. The EPL is revered around the World and by learning from the practitioners who have made it so successful, the ISL will develop and grow in the right way,” he stated.
