IMG Reliance and Star India promoted Indian Super League,under the aegis of All India Football Federation, have today (April 13, 2014)  reached a crucial junction on its path to rediscover Indian Football, as it identifies and awards eight ‘League Partners’ across the Country ahead of the proposed September-November 2014 inauguralseason.

Termed as an unrivalled Footballing event, the Indian Super League being planned under the Football Sports Development Pvt Ltd., aims to ignite a revolution in the sport and ultimately enable Indian Football to thrive and perform at the highest level on the International stage.

Indian Super League’s proposal for ‘League Partners’ received an overwhelming response from the Business,Sports and Bollywood community, to own a team from the nine proposed cities in the contention. Four of the final eight cities – Delhi, Kochi, Guwahati and Bangalore – will find itself in the mainstream Football map of the Country, which is traditionally being dominated by Kolkata, Goa, Pune and Mumbai, through the high-profile professional Indian Super League.

The management takes great pride in announcing the winning bid which boast a good mix of Corporates and celebrities - in Sun Group for BENGALURU; Sameer Manchanda led Den Network for DELHI; VenugopalDhoot (Videocon), Dattaraj Salgaocar and Shrinivas V. Dempo for GOA; John Abraham & Shillong Lajong for GUWAHATI; Sachin Tendulkar & PVP Ventures for KOCHI; Sourav Ganguly, Harshavardhan Neotia, Atletico Madrid, Sanjeev Goenka, Utsav Parekh for KOLKATA, Bollywood’s Ranbir Kapoor and Bimal Parekh for MUMBAI and Salman Khan together with Kapil Wadhawan and Dheeraj Wadhawanof the Wadhawan Group for PUNE.

Ernst & Young, the designated International advisory firm, had the mandate of drawing up and validating the bid process. Each bidder was subject to strict eligibility norms and was required to submit the bids, as prescribed under the ‘Invitation to Bid’ document. Bids were evaluated by the jury panel in the presence of Ernst & Young representatives. 

About IMG Reliance

IMG Reliance (IMGR) is a joint venture that brings together two uniquely experienced companies engaged in India’s burgeoning sports and entertainment industry. As India’s largest private sector company, Reliance Industries has an unrivalled ability, position and track record in India to create and deliver major projects. With strategic know-how, market expertise and impeccable execution, Reliance is poised to play an integral role in enhancing India’s live sports and entertainment. In IMG, Reliance has partnered with a company with experience beyond compare in the world of sports and entertainment. IMG plays a pivotal role in helping to create stage, broadcast and commercialise major sports and entertainment events. In football, IMG produces the global TV feed for the Barclays Premier League, represents the rights of Federations, Leagues and Clubs and partners with major football clients such as FIFA, UEFA and Wembley stadium in developing and delivering their products and revenue streams.

About Star India

STAR India has defined India’s broadcast media for over two decades and is today one of the Country’s leading media and entertainment companies. It broadcasts more than 40 channels in 7 languages, reaching more than 600 million viewers every week across India and 100 other countries. The network’s entertainment channel portfolio includes Star Gold, Channel V, Star World, Star Movies, Star Utsav, Life OK, Movies OK and Star Plus, India's No. 1 General Entertainment Channel. It has a leading presence in regional broadcasting as well, through a bouquet of affiliate channels which includes Star Jalsha, Jalsha Movies, Star Pravah, Asianet, Asianet Plus, Suvarna, Suvarna Plus and Vijay.

STAR India is making quantum leaps in transforming sports in the country by leveraging the group's strengths in superior content production & broadcast and unparalleled audience engagement. STAR's sports business has grown rapidly to six channel properties (STAR Sports 1, STAR Sports 2, STAR Sports 3, STAR Sports 4, STAR Sports HD1, and STAR Sports HD2), making it the leading sports network in the country. The network operates India’s first 24x7 Hindi sports channel – STAR Sports 3, with content, graphics and shows in Hindi - a giant step forward to dramatically increase the reach of sports in the country. STAR India also broadcasts over 5,000 hours of premium live sports content, including around 200 days of live cricket in a year. An extension of the brand in the digital space is starsports.com, which has emerged central to STAR's aim to boost viewer participation and to foster a relationship with a growing set of consumers. STAR Sports reflects the energy and spirit of the nation's burgeoning youth, and is today synonymous with the best of local and world sports in India, as it holds media rights of most major sporting events including BCCI and ICC cricket matches, Champions League T20, Barclays Premier League, Spanish La Liga, Hockey India League, among others.STAR India is a fully owned subsidiary of 21st Century Fox. 

Details on the winning Bidders / Consortiums

A new Sun rises in the Garden City

Bengaluru – Sun Group

Sun Group is an Indian conglomerate, based in Chennai, India. Sun Group's Sun TV Network is one of the largest media networks in India. It owns over thirty three television channels, 45 FM Radio Stations, Two Daily News Papers and Five Magazines with a reach of more than 95 million households in India. Sun Direct is one of the largest DTH service provider in the country having more than 9 million subscribers. Sun Pictures is the film division of Sun TV Network. The group is also present in the aviation business with SpiceJet and also owns IPL Cricket Team Sunrisers Hyderabad.

Den to lay football Network in Delhi

Delhi – Sameer Manchanda of Den Networks

DEN Networks Limited – led by Chairman and Managing Director Sameer Manchanda, is India's largest cable TV distribution company serving 13 million homes in over 200 cities. Based in Delhi, DEN is a frontrunner of digitisation of Indian cable TV. DEN is also launching India’s fastest high speed broadband service with speeds of 100 Mbps and more. DEN aims to become the default destination for entertainment, information and interactivity for the Indian family.

Goan sport to get Dempo, Salgaocar & Videocon’s push

Goa – Salgaocar / Dempo / Videocon

DattarajSalgaocar: His company has diverse interests in Mining, Hospitality, and Shipping. It exports over 4 million tonnes of Iron Ore every year. The company also runs the Goa Marriott and Hotel La Plaz Gardens in Goa.

Dempo: Dempo Mining Corporation Limited is a prominent mining company from  Goa. Shrinivas V. Dempois the Chairman of Dempo Group. They are also the owners of Dempo Sports Club, popularly known as the ‘Whites’ from Goa.The Team has been a constant performer in all the National Football Championship and gained immense popularity in the last four decades of its existence. The Team has several accolades and honours in its kitty. They have won the National Football League title in 2004 and 2006 and followed it with two I-League triumphs in 2006–07 and then in 2009–2010.

Videocon: The group is a US $5 billion global conglomerate with a diversified set of products ranging from handsets, D2H, Electronic Appliance, etc. The group has 17 manufacturing sites in India and plants in Mainland China, Poland, Italy and Mexico.

John joins Lajong for Guwahati

Guwahati – John Abraham/ Shillong Lajong

John Abraham: John Abraham is an established Bollywood actor, producer and former model. Known for his obsession for football, bikes and fitness, John is an avid follower of football and sports in general. He has bought a stake in Delhi team of Hockey India League.

Shillong Lajong: Shillong Lajong is an I-league team based in Shillong. It was established in the year 1983. It was promoted to the 1st Division of the I-League in the 2009-10 season. They have been associated with prominent brands such as Aircel and Adidas. The team plays its home matches in the Nehru Stadium in Shillong.

God of Cricket comes to ‘God’s own Country’

Kochi –  Prasad V. Potluri of PVP Ventures & Sachin Tendulkar

PVP is one of the largest investors of the Country in media and entertainment industry and is listed on the BSE and the NSE. Prasad V Potluri, the known serial entrepreneur in the global outsourcing services space is the Chairman and MD of PVP Ventures. PVP was one of the bidders for Hyderbad team of IPL in 2012.

Sachin Tendulkar: The batting maestro and a World renowned personality, also known as the God amongst his global fan base, will be associated with the Team as its brand ambassador.

Kolkata looks forward to Dadagiri in football

Kolkata –  Sourav Ganguly, Harshavardhan Neotia, Atletico Madrid, Sanjiv Goenka, Utsav Parekh

Sourav Ganguly: Affectionately known as ‘Dada’, is a former Indian cricketer and Captain of the Indian National Team. Currently a cricket commentator, Ganguly is regarded as one of India's most successful Captains in modern times. He is the 5th highest run-scorer in ODIs and was the 3rd person in history to cross the 10,000 run landmark. In 2002, the Wisden Cricketers' Almanack ranked him the sixth greatest ODI batsman of all time.

Atlético de Madrid: Spanish club based in Madrid that plays in the La Liga and has been the Champions on 9 occasions. It is the third most supported club in Spain. They will be moving to a new stadium in the 2015 season which will have a capacity of 70,000 spectators. It is one of the biggest Clubs in the World in terms of associates with more than 65,000 season ticket holders.

Harshavardhan Neotia: Harshavardhan Neotia of Ambuja Neotia Group is one of the most prominent and respected businessman in India. The corporate houses headquartered in Kolkata has its forte in real estate and recent forays into hospitality, healthcare and education. The group has championed the cause of woman and child healthcare by setting up Bhagiarthi Neotia Woman & Child Care Centre in Kolkata.

SanjivGoenka: SanjivGoenka of RP – SanjivGoenka Group from Kolkata is a prominent businessman in India having interest in Power business in the city and national network of modern Retail chains across the Country.

Utsav Parekh: Utsav Parekh has been Non-Executive-Non-Independent Chairman at SMIFS Capital Markets Ltd. since April 1, 2009. Mr. Parekh has about 25 years of in-depth experience in merchant banking and financial services.

Mumbai Wakes Up to Sid’s passion

Mumbai – Ranbir Kapoor & Bimal Parekh

Ranbir Kapoor is one of the leading Indian film actor of the current generation. Through his successful career in Hindi (Bollywood) films, he has become one of the highest-paid actors and one of the most high-profile celebrities in India. He is the recipient of several awards and nominations including five Filmfare Awards. Kapoor is the son of actors Rishi Kapoor and Neetu Singh, and the grandson of actor-director Raj Kapoor. He began his career in Bollywood as an assistant director on Sanjay Leela Bhansali's 2005 film Black and later turned actor to give many a hit movies year on year. A keen follower of football and an avid fan of FC Barcelona, Ranbir is often seen on the maidans of Mumbai playing Football with his co-stars and friends when he is not shooting.

Bimal Parekh is a renowned Chartered Accountant from Mumbai.

Pune will play its football Dabang >

Pune – Salman Khan, Kapil Wadhawan & Dheeraj Wadhawan

Kapil & Dheeraj Wadhawan: KapilWadhawan is the Chairman and Dheeraj Wadhawan is the Vice Chairman of the Rajesh Wadhawan Group, which has diverse business interests including financial services, food retail, hospitality, education and real estate. Sport development has been a major focus area of the Wadhawan family, which believes in taking sport to the grassroots level, thus enabling access for India's young to good quality sporting activities and infrastructure. Over the years, Wadhawan Group has been associated with sports - especially cricket - either as sponsors or team owners.

Salman Khan: Salman Khan is an Indian actor, producer, television presenter, and philanthropist. Known as the actor with mass appeal, Salman is the promoter of ‘Being Human Foundations’. He has appeared in the highest grossing film nine separate years during his career, a record that remains unbroken. He has starred in more than 80 Hindi films and thus far and has established himself as a leading actor of Hindi Cinema.