The Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) says it has been treated “unjustly and unfairly” by the Ghana Football Association (GFA) in the bidding process that led to StarTimes winning the television broadcast rights of the Ghana Premier League and the FA Cup.
According to the national broadcaster, the bid they presented was financially superior to that of StarTimes, and have questioned why the GFA still went ahead to announce the Chinese company as winners.
On Wednesday, January 8, 2020, the GFA announced StarTimes had won the rights to broadcast the Ghana Premier League and the FA Cup in a 5-year deal worth $5,250,000.00.
The amount works out to $1,050,000 annually. This amount, GBC claims, is lower than their offer of $1,100,000.
GBC ultimately wants the bidding process reviewed.
Parts of the statement signed by the company’s Head of Corporate Affairs, Ms. Mamle Asare, read:
“The Ghana Broadcasting Corporation put in a bid which we are certain was superior to what the StarTimes is said to have submitted. As published on the GFA website, StarTimes offered to pay US$ 5,250,000 which comes up to US$ 1,050,000 annually whilst GBC made a financial offer of US$ 1,100,000 annually,” the release said.
“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.
“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.”