Why is the Indian Women's League left to struggle with a broken broadcast system?

In the pre-match press conference ahead of the Odisha FC versus East Bengal clash, coach Crispin Chettri made a poignant statement: “We need better broadcast for the development of the women’s football.”

His words couldn’t have been timelier as the 2025 Indian Women’s League (IWL) – the top tier league of Indian women's football – has finally kicked off, with matches being broadcasted on the platform SSEN, which also streams the I-League.

At first glance, this seems like progress. However, the reality couldn’t be more disheartening.

Is this how you grow Women’s Football?

The platform has put the IWL matches behind a paywall – Rs 199 for iOS users and Rs 149 for Android users – for the entire season. Historically, YouTube streams allowed fans to watch matches for free, creating a gateway to familiarise audiences with women’s football.

While paying may not be an issue for some, women’s football in India is still in its infancy, both in terms of popularity and accessibility. For a sport struggling to capture a foothold, restricting access with a paywall is counterintuitive.

But this isn’t the only problem. Even those willing to pay are facing severe hurdles.

A few of us at The Bridge attempted to subscribe via iOS. Payments were successfully processed, but the subscription wasn’t activated.

Hours passed. No activation. No refund. No explanation.

So, what happens to the money people lose in failed transactions? How do they resolve their issues? Many fans might simply give up. Who's to blame?

For those persistent enough to try again via a laptop, the subscription may eventually activate, but they’re greeted with a stream plagued by constant buffering.

Watching two minutes of uninterrupted gameplay is a luxury.

The solution to fix the lag? Refresh the window, which means missing precious moments of the game.

This isn’t just an inconvenience. It’s a massive disservice to women’s football, which is already fighting for relevance in India.

No revenue share for Clubs

The other glaring issue with the current broadcast arrangement is that none of the subscription revenue is shared with the clubs. Despite fans paying to watch the matches, the clubs – the backbone of the league – receive nothing from this income stream.

For IWL clubs, which already operate on limited budgets and struggle to find sponsorship, this is a devastating blow.

A proper revenue-sharing model could have provided much-needed financial relief, encouraging clubs to invest further in their teams and infrastructure.

Instead, the current arrangement between the All India Football Federation and SSEN leaves the clubs with no financial benefit, making it even harder for women’s football to sustain in India.

Not an isolated incident

This isn’t an isolated incident. Fans of the I-League have also reported similar issues, further exposing glaring inadequacies of football broadcast in the country.

For a governing body AIFF, which released its ambitious Vision 2047 document outlining the goal of elevating Indian women’s football to the top eight in Asia by 2026, this is nothing short of a mockery.

How can the game develop when its visibility is buried under a mountain of technical failures and paywalls?

Even some Indian Super League teams, with significantly more resources, face challenges in securing sponsors because of the lack of return on investment.

Now, with such subpar broadcasting, how will the IWL teams survive? Without visibility, there’s no incentive for sponsors. Without sponsors, the clubs and players face an existential crisis.

Women’s football is at a critical juncture in India. Instead of nurturing it with accessibility, we’re witnessing its potential being smothered under administrative negligence and short-sighted decisions.

If AIFF truly believes in its Vision 2047, it needs to start by getting the basics right: a reliable, affordable, and widely accessible broadcast platform.

Otherwise, lofty goals and grand documents will remain just that – words on paper.

The clock is ticking, and the stakes couldn’t be higher. Women’s football deserves better. Fans deserve better. Indian football deserves better.