REVEALED: Why Kotoko is set to pull out of StarTimes TV broadcast deal

There is simmering tension between Ghana Premier League giants Asante Kotoko, the Ghana Football Association (GFA) and media rights broadcaster of the league StarTimes.

It all started on Sunday 15th November, 2020 when Kumasi Asante Kotoko played against Techiman Eleven Wonders in their opening fixture which was also a home game for the porcupine warriors.

The game was initially supposed to have started at 6:00 pm GMT but it delayed for 11 minutes as there was disagreements between Kotoko and broadcast rights holders StarTimes for the use of the home team's Veo cutting edge technology cameras to record the match for the purposes of video analysis and opposition scouting.

General Secretary of the GFA Prosper Harrison Addo who was not present at the venue had to come from home to intervene before Kotoko were allowed to film the game.

Despite Asante Kotoko showing payment receipts of GHC1,700 from the GFA that allows them to cover their own game with their cameras as per article 42 (5) of the Premier League Regulations, clubs can pay to record their matches, the GFA insisted that only cameras of StarTimes will be allowed to record the games.

They also insisted that If Kotoko needed the game that bad they could go to StarTimes for a copy of the match tape.

This incensed the top hierarchy of Kumasi Asante Kotoko as they were also made to fund the fueling of the generator set at the Accra Sports Stadium at a cost of GHC3,5000 for their 6:00pm match schedule something they did not decide.

StarTimes will by Monday advance payment of $5000 to all 18 Ghana Premier League clubs as the first tranche of the $30,000 each club receives every season.

Kotoko will not accept this money and will rather write to the GFA to pull out of the StarTimes TV deal so as to broadcast their own matches via their sponsor CEEK VR something which the club believes will fetch them more money than the paltry $30,000 StarTimes pays them per season.