On February 15, as India and Pakistan confronted off in a marquee T20 World Cup conflict in Colombo, greater than 11,000 soccer followers assembled on the Sree Kanteerava Stadium to look at Bengaluru FC start its Indian Tremendous League (ISL) marketing campaign towards Sporting Membership Delhi.

An India-Pakistan conflict – nonetheless frequent and uncompetitive it could have turn into in latest occasions – typically brings the entire nation to a standstill. However this unwritten rule didn’t apply to these 1000’s of boisterous, football-hungry followers who had converged within the coronary heart of town.

The next Sunday, when BFC took on NorthEast United FC, greater than 13,000 thronged the venue regardless of one other high-profile World Cup cricket match – between India and South Africa – being held on the identical day.

The numbers in subsequent matches on the Kanteerava stored rising. Greater than 20,000 individuals got here to look at BFC play Mohun Bagan Tremendous Large, and there have been over 21,000 followers for the Kerala Blasters fixture.

Kerala Blasters FC followers have a good time the victory towards Bengaluru FC within the Indian Tremendous League match held in Kanteerava stadium in Bengaluru on April 11, 2026.
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The Blasters contest on April 11 (Saturday), in reality, clashed with India’s most sought-after night leisure programme in the summertime – the Indian Premier League (IPL). But, followers opted to savour soccer motion in particular person fairly than be glued to their tv units at dwelling.

These cases have given rise to a number of attention-grabbing questions – is soccer carving out a distinct segment underneath the large shadow of cricket? What in-stadia expertise is attracting the fanatics? And, is that this an indication {that a} sports-watching, stadium-going tradition unbiased of cricket can mushroom?

Fan engagement

“BFC has finished a very good job of partaking with the followers,” mentioned Pradhyum Reddy, an assistant coach on the outfit from its inception in 2013 till 2016, and somebody who has donned the roles of technical director and CEO at a number of golf equipment.

“Their social media sport is second to none. It’s not simply social media for the sake of it, they usually don’t do clickbait stuff.

“The opposite factor is, it’s most likely the second era of followers who’re coming in. Youngsters who have been ball boys or mascots within the early years at BFC, a few of them are actually enjoying within the ISL, like BFC’s Vinith Venkatesh and NorthEast United’s Macarton Nickson. There’s additionally the BFC Soccer Colleges academy and programme. So, they’ve related properly with town.

“It’s not occurred in a single day. That is what 13 years of constructing in the direction of one thing can do,” 49-year-old Reddy added.

Firstly of the season although, there was an environment of nervous apprehension. High-flight soccer typically kicks off in September, however the 2025-26 ISL was placed on maintain for 5 lengthy months as a result of FSDL – a three way partnership between Reliance Industries and Star Sports activities, which ran the ISL for a decade – and the All India Soccer Federation (AIFF) did not renew the Grasp Rights Settlement earlier than it expired in December 2025.

When the league lastly began in mid-February, following many months of litigation within the Supreme Court docket of India and intervention from the Union Sports activities Ministry, it was in a truncated format.

The 14 groups within the fray ought to have ideally performed 26 matches (13 dwelling and 13 away), however within the ongoing marketing campaign, they have been enjoying one another simply as soon as, amounting to solely 13 outings total.

Hovering attendance

But, attendances have gone up. In 2024-25, when BFC completed a worthy runner-up to Mohun Bagan, a median of 12,687 followers per sport flocked to the Kanteerava, in keeping with soccer statistics web site transfermarkt. This season, that quantity has risen to fifteen,357.

BFC might have performed 14 matches at dwelling final marketing campaign in comparison with simply six this time round, however the curiosity has been palpable.

“It’s wonderful as a result of after the stop-start-stop nature [of the build up], we weren’t fairly certain,” Sunil Chhetri, Indian soccer legend and BFC captain, informed The Hindu.

“Within the dressing room, we gamers thought it may not be the identical. Final yr, we have been profitable video games and enjoying properly. This yr, as a result of there was no readability, we thought individuals weren’t most likely going to come back.

“However my urge for food in terms of followers on the Kanteerava is all the time large. I all the time count on and dream that they will come, and that’s what occurred,” the 41-year-old gushed.

Low ticket pricing

For ardent BFC supporter Nishanth Barke, the largest cause for the wholesome swelling of the group was the low ticket costs and the benefit of availability. He’s a member of the famed West Block Blues fan group, which retains the west stand of the Kanteerava vigorous and vivacious.

Supporters of Mohun Bagan from West Bengal have a good time their crew’s first objective within the I-League soccer match towards Bengaluru FC at Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru on February 13, 2016.
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Mohun Bagan’s goalkeeper Subrata Paul overwhelmed by Dempo Sports activities Membership’s Cristiano Junior (not in image) as Ronty Soleye Martins (proper) seems to be on through the last match of the twenty sixth Federation Cup soccer event on the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru on December 5, 2004.
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“The costs had elevated rather a lot through the earlier seasons, and you can see a drop in attendance apart from the large video games,” opined Barke. “This season, when the costs have been stored at ₹500 for West Block, and even much less for the opposite stands (some as little as ₹49), you can see many non-football followers additionally coming.

“We additionally want to understand the BFC media crew’s technique of collaborating with Instagram influencers. This ensured that the franchise content material was all the time on individuals’s feeds. With fewer dwelling video games, and the content material, individuals wished to witness a sport earlier than the season ended,” he added.

The scheduling helped too. All six of BFC’s dwelling ties this season have been performed throughout weekends, and two of the membership’s greatest rivals, Mohun Bagan and Kerala Blasters, visited Kanteerava, driving up the curiosity additional.

Good climate

“Bangalore additionally has the benefit of excellent climate and a five-o’clock match, even in April and Might, is a superb time to look at,” mentioned Reddy. “You end the match and there may be UB Metropolis across the nook. Or, you may go for a day stroll within the close by Cubbon Park. You may make a time out of it.

“It’s among the many finest match-day experiences within the ISL. It’s kids-friendly, girls are there, and it’s a actually good environment.”

It’s noteworthy that BFC has attracted audiences regardless of its dwelling type being patchy at finest – one win, three attracts and two losses. Reddy credited former India captain Renedy Singh, who was the coach for the primary 4 video games at Kanteerava earlier than Spaniard Pep Munoz took over, for enjoying a task on this.

“BFC underneath Renedy performed respectable soccer. It was enticing, thrilling, and there was a whole lot of goal-mouth motion. Children have been concerned, there was somebody from the academy enjoying, and folks got here to look at them. It’s important to give a model of leisure that makes followers come to the stadium, and I feel Renedy did that.”

In contrast to earlier occasions, a good portion of the present season has overlapped with the IPL. So long as each IPL and ISL have been within the custody of a single broadcaster (Star community), the competitions seldom ran concurrently, with the belief – not completely with out foundation – being that there wouldn’t be sufficient eyeballs for soccer.

In 2021-22 and 2022-23, not a single IPL and ISL match clashed. In 2023-24, there was practically a month’s overlap however that was as a result of the ISL needed to take a break in January 2024 for the AFC Asian Cup. In 2024-25, solely the 5 playoff contests have been performed concurrently with the IPL.

Nevertheless, at a time when there are indicators of fan fatigue affecting cricket, the missteps in soccer governance in India and the entry of streaming platform FanCode as the brand new broadcast companion might have inadvertently unlocked a hitherto unimaginable way forward for co-existence.

Curiously, BFC met FC Goa within the first leg of their semi-final on the Kanteerava on April 2, 2025. The identical night, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) performed Gujarat Titans in an IPL sport on the adjoining M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. That didn’t cease practically 20,000 individuals from turning the soccer area right into a raucous theatre. In hindsight, that night was a transparent cue.

“The individuals of Bengaluru love sports activities, they usually assist the groups that signify town,” mentioned Yashas, an avid BFC follower. “Be it RCB and even Bengaluru Bulls [in the Pro Kabaddi League]. Final yr, for the Neeraj Chopra Traditional [javelin throw event], greater than 14,000 individuals turned up. So, you may clearly see individuals love sports activities right here.”

Natural fandom

This natural fandom has warmed the center of Darren Caldeira, the director of soccer at BFC. The uncertainity surrounding ISL’s graduation meant that Caldeira and his crew couldn’t let anticipation construct, a prerequisite for lasting fan engagement.

As soon as the dates have been introduced, there was simply sufficient time to get the stadium prepared, spruce up the grass turf and liaise with native authorities companies concerning logistics and permissions.

After the death of 11 persons in a stampede outdoors the Chinnaswamy Stadium in June 2025 throughout RCB’s title-win celebrations, protocols with respect to crowd administration have been made stricter for all venues.

“Bengaluru was starved of soccer. Not simply membership soccer, however even the nationwide crew didn’t have something right here,” mentioned Caldeira. “So, as soon as the season began, and each time there was a house sport, we tried to create a vibe by having actions, say on the concourse.

“It is also one thing so simple as sipping espresso at Konark restaurant and chatting in regards to the sport. Even some conversations between followers and the administration.

“As a result of, it’s not nearly a fan buying a ticket, watching a sport and leaving. They’ve to come back in with this sense of ‘properly, we belong right here, and the membership is ours, and we wish to meet our individuals’. Kudos to the followers for becoming a member of in and doing this collectively,” the 38-year-old added.

The best way to maintain it

Nevertheless, to maintain this positivity, authorities working Indian soccer need to get their acts collectively. After the exit of FSDL, the seek for a brand new business companion is on. There’s ambiguity concerning when the league would start, what number of groups will take part, and what the format shall be.

“Solely when you have that readability can golf equipment plan for recruiting good coaches and gamers, sending out the schedule, and do the issues that may construct up anticipation,” mentioned Reddy.

“When are the matches towards Mohun Bagan and Kerala Blasters, and when can one journey to look at the match towards FC Goa? These are the issues that assist create a buzz, and are thus crucial.”

The muse for progress is clearly there. It’s time to construct a stable edifice.