Ghana Football Association Executive Council Member, Nana Oduro Sarfo has hinted the Ghana Premier League and the MTN FA Cup competitions are set to see a major boost in terms of TV coverage, as Chinese-owned pay-TV operator, StarTimes, is nearing a return as official broadcast partners.
The TV broadcasters have been in partnership with the Ghana Football Association for the past eight seasons covering the Ghana Premier League and the MTN FA Cup competitions.
The country’s elite division is currently not on StarTimes due to the company’s reported outstanding debt of almost $1million to the Ghana Football Association over the last 2023/2024 season.
Earlier on Asempa FM this week, Nana Oduro Sarfo revealed that negotiations with StarTimes have reached advanced stage, with the partnership expected to resume during the second half of the 2024/25 league season.
“We are almost finalizing talks with StarTimes, and it is likely they will return in the second round of the season to broadcast our games,” Sarfo shared.
StarTimes first secured broadcast rights from the Ghana Football Association—Kwesi Nyantakyi’s regime, in 2016 under a ten-year agreement approximately worth $18M.
However, the deal between the two parties was terminated three years later due to breaches of contract after the GFA was unable to meet certain obligations.
After the installation of the new FA’s leadership led by Mr. Kurt Okraku, the GFA and StarTimes rejoined in contract in 2020 under a revised five-year deal worth $5.25M
Failing to honour financial obligations on the part of StarTimes, according to reports compelled the Ghana Football Association to halt coverage for the 2024/2025 season until all issues have been resolved with the broadcasting company.
In StarTimes’ absence, the GFA as an adhoc measure, opted to free-to-air broadcasters which has met heavy criticism over poor quality production.
While this provided wider accessibility, it has been criticized for poor production quality and limited global reach, particularly during the current 2024/25 season.
The return of StarTimes is expected to restore high-quality broadcasts, enhancing the viewing experience for fans and boosting the league’s global reach.
