OMP Signs $390,000 Media Rights With GFA

Marketing, PR and communication giants, Optimum Media Prime (OMP) yesterday signed a $390,000 media rights contract with the Ghana Football Association(GFA) for the broadcast of Black Stars World Cup qualifying matches, at its secretariat in Accra. By the contract, the GFA has offered OMP the exclusive global media rights for television broadcast on free to air and pay TV platforms, all the home matches for the Stars World Cup 2010 qualifying matches in Round one in 2008 and round two in 2009. Thus OPM will syndicate, cover and produce for live telecast, a quality TV standard, audio visual signal from the Baba Yara Stadium. Consequently, OMP has made four installment payment to the FA with an advance payment of GH 97,500, ahead of their first game against Libya on May 30, at the Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi. In his speech, the Managing Director of OMP, Mr Ken Ashigbey, stated that "Any of Black Stars’ matches attracts a captive national audience. It is this national pride that we at OMP want to project, optimize and help in its growth." "It is our conviction that OMP should contribute in ensuring the Black Stars qualify to South Africa 2010, by contributing our quota in the form of financial support, to ensure that as many Ghanaians as possible in Ghana and all over the World have an opportunity to see the games and support the team," he added. OMP received the nod following their impressive track record of successfully syndicating media rights for the Germany 2006 World Cup, the just-ended MTN Africa Cup of Nations in Ghana, conceptualizing sports shows such as MTN sports academy which unearthed Gideon Baah. Their exclusive rights notwithstanding, OPM has thrown the request to all interested TV stations to come on board on specific conditions in their quest to telecast all Black Stars' home and some away games. The President of the FA, Mr Kwesi Nyantakyi, described the FA-OMP relationship as a double-edged one, taking into account the social services which will bring the Stars matches to the door step of Ghanaians as well s its communication opportunities. He revealed that the FA will explore on the commercial aspect of the agreement to run the FA since the running of football and money has now become bedfellows. The CEO of OMP Mr Fadi Fattal commended the FA for successfully steering the affairs of soccer in the country, which has qualified the country for a record 15th position in the World and a respectable 1st position in Africa.