GPL Coverage: Wider reach but lacking quality

The Head of Public Relations and Strategy at the Ghana Football Association (GFA), Neil Armstrong-Mortagbe, has revealed that the Executive Council is not entirely impressed by the coverage quality of the Ghana Premier League despite its wide coverage.

Following the expiration of the GFA’s contract with global digital television operator StarTimes for the broadcast of the biggest football league in Ghana, the Exco, through the GFA announced the broadcast of the league on free-to-air television channels.

Although a number of football enthusiasts welcomed this move, many, however, have strongly questioned the motive behind it, given the current quality of the coverage of the best football division in Ghana in comparison to the previous coverage by StarTimes.

Speaking to Nana Darkwa Gyasi on Sports Pack, Neil Armstong-Mortagbe explained the Exco are very much aware of the concerns raised and hinted a possible return to StarTimes with hopefully a deal that can satisfy parties involved.

“When it was on StarTimes, the biggest criticism was that it was not being widely distributed. That was one of the critiques because it was on paid TV. So we want to have a balance between wide distribution and quality and develop a module that meets those two objectives: higher quality and wider distribution. So there’s nothing cast in stone when it comes to the TV rights conversations,” he said on Max FM.

With the growing uncertainties surrounding the television coverage of the league, there is a high possibility of the Ghana Football Association working at bringing back high-quality coverage while ensuring a wider reach on both free-to-air and paid television.