African Games $3m Coverage Deal: Why would you buy your TV rights? - Saddick Adams quizzes 

Renowned Ghanaian broadcaster, Saddick Adams, has questioned why the Sports Ministry paid Ghana Broadcasting Corporation to broadcast the 13th African Games hosted in Ghana and not the other way around. 

Saddick Adams argues that the normal practice regarding hosting continental events is the organisers selling the broadcasting right to the highest bidder or any interested party. 

He could not fathom why the Ministry would pay a sum of over $3 million in a deal to telecast the Games. 

"My problem is, GBC was ready to buy the Ghana Premier League right for $5.5 million. Ghana Premier League is largely watched by Ghanaians. This means that GBC has money to buy the right, so why then do we pay them to broadcast the African Games?," he questioned during a discussion of the African Games TV rights saga on Angel TV.

"Broadcast rights are sold. The Paris Olympic Games broadcast rights were sold in regions. In USA, NBC bought the right for $7.8 billion. And that was just for USA before they sold some to Europeans. African Games is Africa's Olympic Games and we decided not to sell. At least, make it an open market for the local stations for them to bid. In the end, the highest bidder will pay money to the government because they will seek sponsorship. We saw some of the sponsorship deals where they (GBC) were seeking $1 million for a slot," he added. 

Saddick Adams' criticisms are in reaction to the Minister of Youth and Sports, Mustapha Ussif's claim that his ministry paid an excess of $3 million to GBC during his appearance before the Public Accounts Committee.

Contractionary to the Minister's claim, Professor Amin Alhassan, Director-General of GBC denied receiving the aforementioned amount indicating that the state broadcaster earned $105,000. 

“I want to state that GBC’s total benefit from the African Games was $105,000. Nothing more was paid to GBC,” he said in an interview with Uniq FM.

Prof. Alhassan's denial triggered a response from the Youth and Sports Ministry. 

In a statement released on Tuesday, August 21, 2024, the Ministry of Youth and Sports offered details of the African Games broadcast rights deal with GBC, indicating that the agreement amounted to $3.6 million.

The Ministry cited that a sum of $2.5 million was paid to GBC in two instalments, while $1 million was paid to a third party upon the instructions of GBC.

"From the total amount, $2.5 million was paid directly to GBC in two tranches: $1 million and $1.5 million on March 13, 2024, and May 22, 2024, respectively. Another amount of $1 million was paid to third parties upon the instructions of GBC, in accordance with the contract," the release explained.

 

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🚨Listen to why the sports minister should be a candidate for Nsawam in 2025

They used another $3 million for internet 🥲 pic.twitter.com/boh9C8YCLD

— Listowel Mensah (@Listo_Mens) August 20, 2024