The Ghana Football Association has said that radio commentary rights to its properties will be available on a ‘non-cash consideration’ basis.
The GFA is currently in late stages of tendering broadcast and radio rights for its properties which include the top-tier Ghana Premier League and the second-tier Division One League, the Women’s Premier League, and the men’s and women’s FA Cups.
Prospective bidders must accept the GFA’s terms and conditions which place the onus on promotion of competitions and driving its advertising inventory.
The GFA has said that it is willing to consider offers from smaller radio stations, outside of Ghana’s prominent media outlets, but that these smaller organisations must be willing to accept the same terms.
The national federation said that it has “decided that it will offer the rights to major media groups of companies based on the terms and conditions associated with the rights”.
It added: “For all other radio stations not affiliated to the major media groups, the GFA will offer the same terms and conditions to them through the major media groups. The GFA therefore reiterates that the rights are available to every radio station in Ghana provided they accept the terms and conditions through the major media groups or the GFA.”
The GFA’s decision echoes that of the Spanish Football Federation which announced that it would waive radio fees for commentary to its knockout tournament the Copa del Rey.
It is thought that the GFA will announce which broadcaster has acquired the television rights to its properties in the coming days.
GFA president Kurt Okraku told the Joy FM radio station that there were seven bidders in the running to replace pan-African broadcaster StarTimes. He said that SuperSport, the pay-television broadcaster that operates across sub-Saharan Africa, has not bid.
The GFA and StarTimes signed a 10-year deal in 2017 which was valued at $18m (€16m) over its lifespan.
That deal was cancelled in December after it was reported that an obligation for StarTimes to construct football pitches in co-operation with the GFA was not met.
SuperSport also held the broadcast rights between 2013 and 2016 in a deal which was thought to be of a substantially lower value than StarTimes cancelled agreement.
The GFA has also taken aim at what it says as unauthorised betting companies and has threatened legal action against any found guilty of illegal activities.