Sony Sports Network to air ISL 2026-27 in five languages; YouTube to carry English and Hindi feeds
Sony Sports Network will broadcast the Indian Super League 2026-27 season in five languages on television and SonyLIV, while YouTube will stream matches in English and Hindi, Khel Now reported and the league confirmed on October 7, 2026. The arrangement covers television, subscription streaming and free global streaming of the competition.
Sony Sports Network’s linear channels will carry up to 120 matches across the Indian subcontinent and SonyLIV will stream all 163 matches in India. YouTube will show every match live and free across India and worldwide with no subscription required. “We want the ISL to be the most accessible league in the country, and that means being present across the platforms where fans are choosing to watch and follow football,” ISL CEO Karan Yadav said in the league’s announcement.
The five-language offering on Sony Sports Network and SonyLIV comprises English, Hindi, Malayalam, Tamil and Bengali, with the regional-language commentary feeds activated only when teams from the corresponding regions are playing. Khel Now noted the regional feeds will be available tied to the teams in action, creating specific Malayalam, Tamil and Bengali broadcasts for relevant matches.
Khel Now understands the limit on YouTube’s language coverage is linked to the platform’s current multi-audio capability, which supports only two or three language tracks; this is cited as the reason YouTube’s live streams are restricted to English and Hindi. The league has reinstated pre-match, half-time and post-match analysis shows after a three-season absence, and Khel Now understands the English studio programming will be produced from stadiums rather than a central studio.
The 2026-27 season also introduces a club-led structure in which participating clubs share commercial and operational responsibility for the competition. Clubs have restructured the league office with full-time staff, including chief executive Karan Yadav, who was appointed on September 21 and is described as the former chief commercial officer of JSW Sports.
Since clubs assumed commercial duties, the league has closed several partner agreements: MG Motor became title sponsor in a deal reported at over ₹25 crore for two seasons and the competition will be known as the MG Indian Super League. Khel Now reported a new four-year licensing deal with EA Sports to keep the ISL in EA Sports FC games, a four-year agreement with Sportradar worth around ₹57 crore keeping it as the official data and integrity partner until 2030, and a two-year extension with Nivia Sports as the official ball and equipment partner.
Accessibility measures include scheduling 53 of the 78 Phase 1 matches on Fridays, Saturdays or Sundays and making every game available free on YouTube. The season begins on October 10, with Bengaluru FC hosting Sporting Club Delhi at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium at 5:00 PM IST; Phase 1 runs until January 17, 2027, with kick-offs at 5:00 PM and 7:30 PM IST. East Bengal will miss the opening week because of their AFC commitments and start against Churchill Brothers on October 18, with the first Kolkata derby set for November 29.