Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
The Indian Super League (ISL) has launched a new fan feedback survey as the 2026-27 season draws closer, seeking direct views from supporters on their clubs, viewing habits and matchday experiences. The exercise comes amid fresh uncertainty around Jamshedpur FC and a wider transition towards a new club-led commercial model for the league.
The survey takes around five minutes to complete and covers topics including favourite clubs, match-viewing habits, refereeing, fantasy football and the content supporters want to see. Fans can access the form through the ISL’s social media channels.
advertisement
ISL FAN SURVEY – CLICK FOR FORM
The timing is significant. After months of uncertainty over the league’s future, the ISL is entering a new phase in which its 14 clubs will have greater control over management and commercial decisions. The 2026-27 season is scheduled to begin on September 4 and will return to a full home-and-away format.
But the survey arrives while the league continues to deal with issues that go well beyond fan engagement. Jamshedpur FC’s ongoing turmoil, following Tata Steel’s decision to withdraw its funding, has once again highlighted the financial fragility facing some ISL clubs.
The league therefore has two very different challenges ahead: understanding what supporters want and ensuring that the competition itself remains stable enough for those supporters to stay invested.
HOW WILL THE ISL FAN SURVEY WORK?
The survey is designed to give the league and clubs a clearer understanding of their supporters.
Fans are being asked which clubs they follow, how they watch ISL matches and how they rate their overall experience. Questions also cover refereeing, fantasy football and digital content, giving the league a sense of how supporters interact with the competition beyond the 90 minutes.
That information could become particularly useful under the new club-led structure.
With greater responsibility for their own commercial operations, clubs can use fan feedback to shape ticketing, merchandise, matchday experiences, social media and community initiatives.
WHY THE TIMING MATTERS
The survey comes after a turbulent period for the ISL.
The dispute between the All India Football Federation and Football Sports Development Limited over the league’s commercial future had put the competition’s continuation in doubt. The eventual move towards a club-led model has provided greater clarity, but also shifted more responsibility onto the 14 clubs.
The Jamshedpur FC situation shows why that responsibility matters. Tata Steel’s withdrawal of funding has raised fresh questions about the sustainability of individual clubs and the financial foundations of the league.
The problems extend beyond the ISL too, with financial pressures affecting clubs outside the top division and continuing disagreements between the AIFF and various stakeholders.
A fan survey cannot solve those structural issues.
WHAT CAN THE SURVEY ACTUALLY CHANGE?
It can, however, help clubs understand their audiences better.
The feedback could influence everything from digital content and match highlights to ticketing, merchandise and local fan engagement. For a league trying to deepen its connection with supporters, that information is useful.
But it is only one piece of the puzzle. Fans can say what they want to watch and how they want to follow their clubs. They cannot determine whether those clubs have sustainable finances or whether the wider football structure is functioning properly.
The 2026-27 ISL season is scheduled to begin on September 4, with the league returning to a full home-and-away format. The survey is therefore a useful start to the new club-led era.
The bigger question is whether the ISL can turn fan feedback into meaningful change while addressing the instability threatening the competition itself.
– Ends
SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
