The Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) has expressed disappointment in the Ghana Football Association (GFA) for rejecting its financially superior offer for the television broadcast rights of the Ghana Premier League.
According to the state-owned television, they were willing to offer US$1,100,000 annually to the FA, a figure that was superior to the US$1,050,000 annual bid by the pay-per-view television network.
However, in a press statement signed by the Director of Corporate Affairs of GBC, Mamle Asare, said it received the news that StarTimes had won the rights with the best bid with disappointment and shock.
“The Ghana Broadcasting Corporation put in a bid which we are certain was superior to what the StarTimes is said to have submitted. As published on the GFA website, StarTimes offered to pay UDS 5,250,000 which comes up to USD 1,050,000 annually whilst GBC made a financial offer of USD 1,100,000 annually,” the statement said.
“It is for this and other reasons that we received the news with disappointment and shock.”
The statement added that the unfair decision to deny the GBC and a local television consortium the television broadcast rights will deny some Ghanaians access to the Ghana Premier League and FA Cup live games on Free-to-Air (FTA) broadcast.
“Apart from GBC’s superior financial offer, we thought that the Premier League and FA Cup content would have been treated like a national treasure and given to the national broadcaster and a consortium of local broadcasters,” the statement said.
“GBC wishes to put it on public record that the national broadcaster and the local TV Consortium have been treated unfairly and unjustly. The GFA decision will gravely impact on Ghanaians’ access to the Ghana Premier League and FA Cup live games on Free-to-Air (FTA) broadcast”.
However, below is the statement released by the Ghana FA when they announced the StarTimes deal worth $5.23m for the next five years.
Press Release: StarTimes named as Television Rights Holder of the Ghana Premier League and the FA Cup.
The Ghana Football Association is delighted to announce to its stakeholders that StarTimes Ghana are the new Television Rights Holders of the Ghana Premier League and the FA Cup.
StarTimes emerged winners of the competitive bidding process after the GFA accepted their offer, which was the best among other bids.
StarTimes will sign a five-year agreement with the GFA worth $5.25m US Dollars to be the exclusive Television Rights owner of the Ghana Premier League and the FA Cup with immediate effect.
Meanwhile, the GFA has decided to make highlights of the Ghana Premier League and the FA Cup available to other television stations in a non-exclusive category.
As part of the agreement, part of the monetary consideration will be used to produce matches and highlights of the Division One League, the Women’s Premier League and Women’s FA Cup to give the competitions the needed visibility.
The GFA, will, in due course, announce names of television stations who have been granted non-exclusive rights for the highlights shows.
The Ghana Football Association welcomes StarTimes as its partner and is looking forward to having a fruitful and mutually beneficial relationship.
Below is the GBC’s statement on the matter:
