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 program.
The Co-operation Agreement between the ISL and the EPL 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%.
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 ISL’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 the Premier League and its clubs in staging football matches and assist in other business development initiatives in India.
“Having earlier this year signed a mutual co-operation agreement with the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), we are very pleased to also enter into this partnership with the ISL,” said Chief Executive of the Premier League Richard Scudamore.
“This will see both organisations work together and share knowledge in several key areas including player development, refereeing, marketing and promotion.
“We know from our broadcast partner Star India, and our work with the AIFF on our long-established grassroots football project Premier Skills that we run in several locations across India, that the popularity of football, and the Premier League, is growing.
“There is a further opportunity to develop the sport as a result of that increased interest and we hope to continue to make a real contribution to all levels of Indian football.”
