ISL to stream all 163 matches free on YouTube as 2026-27 season returns on October 10
The Indian Super League announced on Wednesday, October 7 that all 163 matches of the 2026-27 season will be streamed live and free on YouTube as the competition prepares to restart on October 10. The league said the move is intended to broaden its digital reach ahead of a season running from October 10 to May 2027.
YouTube has been roped in as the ISL's digital streaming partner for the new season while SonyLiv will also hold digital streaming rights. The free YouTube stream is designed to remove a subscription barrier and will be available worldwide, the league said. The decision accompanies a wider reset in format and scheduling for the upcoming campaign.
The 2026-27 season returns to a home-and-away format after the 2025-26 campaign was played as a shortened single-leg competition. The previous season was compressed into a much smaller window, the league stated, citing administrative and commercial uncertainty that delayed its start. The full calendar comprises 163 matches spread across the extended season.
The opening phase of the schedule consists of 78 matches and will run until January 17, with a weekend-centric layout that places 53 of those 78 fixtures on Fridays, Saturdays or Sundays. The league framed the first phase to concentrate matches across the traditional weekend slots. Fixtures beyond the opening phase will continue through to the May 2027 conclusion.
Thirteen clubs will take part in the rebranded ISL: Bengaluru FC, Chennaiyin FC, Churchill Brothers FC, East Bengal FC, FC Goa, Inter Kashi FC, Kerala Blasters FC, Mohun Bagan Super Giant, Mumbai City FC, NorthEast United FC, Odisha FC, Punjab FC and Sporting Club Delhi. Churchill Brothers will enter the competition for the first time after taking over the existing Jamshedpur FC, and that change produces the ISL's first-ever Goa Derby between Churchill Brothers and FC Goa.
The ISL will make its maiden visit to Imphal when NorthEast United FC face Sporting Club Delhi at the Khuman Lampak Stadium on November 24. Separately, Diamond Harbour FC — which had secured promotion by winning the 2025-26 Indian Football League title — failed to complete the administrative fee requirement and will not be eligible to collect points during the upcoming season. The league said Diamond Harbour FC will automatically be placed at the bottom of the standings and will lose its ISL status for the 2027-28 season, returning to the Indian Football League in line with the competition's promotion and relegation framework.
Competition consequences for the 2026-27 campaign are defined: the team finishing first at the end of the league phase will be crowned the Shield Winners and recognised as the official ISL champions and will secure a place in Asian competition. The top six teams from the league phase will qualify for the knockout stage and compete for the ISL Cup.
The campaign opens on October 10 with the first phase of 78 matches running through January 17, and the full schedule concludes in May 2027; fans worldwide will be able to watch the season live and free on YouTube while SonyLiv retains digital streaming rights.
