AIFF to sign 700-crore sponsorship deal with IMG-Reliance

Top sources in the AIFF told PTI that the deal will be signed at the AIFF headquarters between the federation officials and IMG-Reliance representatives before the Annual General Body meeting here tomorrow.

"It is a 15-year deal with a whopping amount of Rs 700 crore. The deal will be signed tomorrow," the source said. IMG-Reliance will have the sponsorship, marketing, advertisement and media rights on football events featuring the Indian national team.

The AIFF will also decide on whom to award I-League telecasting rights among the three bidders after consent from IMG-Reliance. The I-League which kicked off on December 3 has been running without any title sponsor and telecast partner.

Kolkata channels 24 Ghanta and a joint bid of Kolkata TV and Channel 10 were among those which have applied after the AIFF recently invited for proposals. The AIFF recently terminated its USD 70 million 10-year deal with Zee Sports four years ahead of its expiry.

The deal was to run till 2014, but it had a clause to review it after five years. It is widely believed that delayed payments, lack of enough publicity and bad coverage are some of the reasons which forced the AIFF to terminate the contract, for which the federation is likely to pay a whopping sum that amounts to crores of rupees to the sports channel.