The Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) has slated the country’s Football Association (GFA) for what they describe ‘unjust and unfair’ treatment in the decision to award Chinese firm StarTimes the Television broadcast rights of the Ghana Premier League and FA Cup for the next five years.
The national broadcaster argues that, together with its local TV Consortium, they presented a financially superior and wider reach bid compared to that of the ultimate winner.
The Ghana Football Association (GFA), had on Wednesday, announced they had settled on signing an exclusive TV broadcast rights deal for the league and FA Cup competition worth $5,250,000 with StarTimes.
But an aggrieved GBC say the financial component, which works out to $1,050,000 annually, is lower than their offer of $1,100,000, suggesting the decision should be reviewed.
“The Ghana Broadcasting Corporation put in a bid which we are certain was superior to what the StarTimes is said to have submitted. As published on the GFA website, StarTimes offered to pay US$ 5,250,000 which comes up to US$ 1,050,000 annually whilst GBC made a financial offer of US$ 1,100,000 annually.
“It is for this and other reasons that we received the news with disappointment and shock.
“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.
“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.
“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,” parts of the statement signed by the company’s Head of Corporate Affairs, Ms. Mamle Asare, read.
Footy-Ghana.com understands that the Ghana Football Association is preparing to issue a reaction to GBC’s claims.
