Mumbai: Volleyball Federation of India on Monday announced its partnership with Eurosport India for the inaugural season of the Indian Volleyball League (IVL). Tentatively scheduled to kickstart around June-July, the IVL will be the premier volleyball league in the country, sanctioned both by the Asian Volleyball Confederation and International Volleyball Federation (FIVB).

The IVL also proposes to have six to eight new franchisees representing various cities across India. The teams will have a mix of top players from the Indian national team along with talented players from various states as well as a host of top international players in its roster for the inaugural season.

“We are delighted to be playing a role in popularising the fast-paced exciting sport of Volleyball across India and helping Indian volleyball reach to sports fans across the globe," said Discovery Inc head of Eurosport India and distribution- South Asia Ruchir Jain. "The Indian Volleyball League is definitely the future that the sport deserves, and we are not only excited to play our part in this but also would commend the Volleyball Federation of India for their vision in making Indian volleyball truly global in nature.”

The proposed Indian Volleyball League will be an annual feature in the global volleyball calendar. The process of applying for ownership of new franchises through the official website of the Indian Volleyball League & Volleyball Federation of India will be announced soon.

“It is a momentous occasion for Indian Volleyball, and we are thrilled to have a globally respected brand like Discovery on board with us. Together we aim to uplift the sport’s standard in the near future as one of top international volleyball leagues globally,” commented Volleyball Federation of India MP and president prof (Dr) Achyuta Samanta.

Apart from the Eurosport India channel, viewers will also be able to live-stream the league on discovery+ app.