AIFF & IMG-Reliance sign 15 year contract!

Negotiations have been ongoing for many month’s, but finally today the All India Football Federation and IMG-Reliance signed on the dotted line for a 15 year contract with the goal of maximizing the sporting and commercial potential of football in India right from the grassroots up to the professional level.

By signing the deal with the AIFF, IMG-Reliance (a joint venture between IMG Worldwide & Reliance Industries) has acquired all the commercial rights to football in India which include sponsorship, advertising, broadcasting, merchandising, film, video and data, intellectual property, franchising and new league rights. Through such a long agreement the AIFF and IMG-Reliance have the time and hopefully the financial strength to improve, popularize and promote the game of football throughout India, from the grassroots to the professional level.

The AIFF has also mandated IMG-Reliance to develop the branding and marketing aspects related to Team India, domestic competitions and participating teams. It would also look at scheduling, restructuring and reformatting of domestic competitions. In addition, IMG-Reliance plans to develop, operate and administer a new professional football league in the country. Through the AIFF, IMG-Reliance will also work with their state associations in developing these various proposals.

IMG-Reliance and the AIFF will also work together to develop Indian Football talent, significantly impact the competitive level of the sport as well as attract high quality international players. This will include training facilities, modeled on IMG Academies in Bradenton, Florida in the United States.

This agreement with the AIFF follows IMG-Reliance’s recent similar announcement of acquiring the commercial rights to basketball in India, in cooperation with the Basketball Federation in India. But there IMG-Reliance was able to sign a 30 year deal, which they also wanted to do with the AIFF but this was turned down the AIFF.

“The AIFF has a vision for the sport of football in the country. Our engagement with IMG Reliance comes at a pivotal stage of this pursuit to enhance the quality of football and develop the sport across the country. IMG-Reliance brings together an unparalleled advantage of the execution capabilities of Reliance and the global expertise in marketing and development of sports of IMG. We have shared what we have learned from the past and agreed on the tasks at hand as we embark on this exciting journey with them,” said AIFF president Praful Patel.

Commenting on the development, Mrs. Nita Ambani, Member on the Board, IMG-Reliance, said, “As the youth of India make a mark in the global stage, we need to invest in developing platforms which can help our talent to realize their potential. IMG Reliance is committed towards developing these platforms and the tie-up with the All India Football Federation is a significant step in this direction. I am thankful to Shri. Praful Patel and all the senior office bearers at AIFF and it is a privilege to partner them in the joint pursuit of developing Indian Football to its truest potential.”

“We are incredibly excited about the future of football in India,” said Ted Forstmann, Chairman and Chief Executive of IMG Worldwide. “It is the second most popular sport in the country with a massive and passionate fan following. The excitement and exuberance that was evident in the streets of the major cities in India during this year’s World Cup, as well as the estimated 110 million Indian television viewers of the games, is a good indication of potential for future success. With the cooperation and participation of the AIFF, IMG-Reliance is committed to making football a commercially exciting and successful sport in India. In a country with a population of 1.2 billion people and incredibly talented athletes, it’s a realistic goal that India aims for a future World Cup berth. Together with our Indian Basketball deal, this gets IMG-Reliance off to a fantastic start,” Forstmann concluded.