StarTimes threaten legal action against media houses illegally broadcasting GPL

The era of enjoying freebies by several Ghanaian media houses looks like ending soon with broadcast rights owners of the Ghana Premier League warning the media from their illegal coverage of the league.

Determined to ensure the Ghana Premier League is given a massive facelift, StarTimes has threatened legal action against unauthorized media houses that run commentary on the Ghanaian league.

With over two hundred broadcast media houses all over Ghana, only twenty have reached an agreement with StarTimes to broadcast the league - as in running commentary on LIVE matches.

StarTimes before the start of the league had called on media houses to come for negotiations to be able to run commentary on the league but a few serious ones showed interest while many others swept their call under the carpet.

The broadcast rights owners reminded the media but the same attention was handed their reminder prompting them to issue a statement warning unauthorized media houses to stay away from the league.

In a statement signed by the Head of Marketing, StarTimes, Akofa Djankui, her outfit isn't happy with the development.

"StarTimes is by this communique calling on all radio stations to desist from unlicensed broadcasting of the Ghana Premier League matches," the statement read.

"StarTimes, together with the GFA will take strong and active measures towards the enforcement of our copyright and will pursue criminal and civil actions against any media house or journalist who supply unauthorized footage or audio commentary via mobile phone from the various match centres," the statement further warned.

StarTimes have a ten-year exclusive broadcast rights sponsorship of the Ghanaian league with the Ghana FA and are only two years in it.