Ghana FA Announces StarTimes’ Return as Premier League Broadcast Partner
The Ghana Football Association (GFA) has officially confirmed that StarTimes, the Chinese pay-TV operator, will resume broadcasting the Ghana Premier League (GPL) starting in February. This development follows weeks of negotiations between the GFA and StarTimes, resolving previous financial disputes that had led to the suspension of the broadcaster’s coverage.
StarTimes initially secured the GPL broadcast rights in 2016 under a 10-year agreement worth $17.9 million. However, financial disagreements between the two parties resulted in the suspension of its coverage, leaving a significant gap in live broadcasting for the league over the past year.
Nana Oduro Sarfo, a member of the GFA Executive Council, confirmed the news during an interview with Guide FM. “The last time I spoke about StarTimes was four weeks ago. StarTimes will come in February. The GFA doesn’t have any contract with a media house at the moment. Since we had no TV rights and our matches were not going public, we decided to engage certain companies to handle it for a specific time and even put it on our GFA app. But that is now gone,” Sarfo explained.
He added, “If by February, StarTimes comes on board, everything ceases, and nobody will have access to the rights anymore. They will take over completely.” This season, the Ghana Premier League has been broadcast on several local TV stations, including Metro TV, Original TV, Net2 TV, and AFA Sports, as a temporary measure.
The return of StarTimes is expected to bring stability and wider coverage to the league, ensuring that fans across the country and beyond can access live matches and related content. The partnership is also anticipated to boost the league’s visibility, attract more sponsors, and enhance the overall quality of football broadcasting in Ghana.
The GFA expressed optimism about the renewed collaboration, emphasizing its commitment to providing fans with reliable and high-quality coverage of the league. With StarTimes’ extensive reach and expertise in sports broadcasting, the association aims to elevate the Ghana Premier League’s profile and engage a broader audience.
Further details about the broadcast schedule and programming are expected to be announced in the coming weeks. Fans and stakeholders have welcomed the news, hoping that the partnership will mark a new chapter in the growth and development of Ghanaian football.
