The Joy Prime channel’s coverage of the Euro 2020 has been received with massive enthusiasm and ratings since the tournament kicked off on June 11.

Key things that have drawn a massive audience to the matchday broadcast are the quality of presentation, and the depth of punditry and commentary teams.

The Joy Prime Channel has free to air rights to air selected big games on the month long tournament.  

The Pundits

Stephen Appiah

He goes down in Ghana’s history as the first captain to qualify the national team (Black Stars) to the FIFA World Cup for the 2006 edition.

His inspirational brand of leadership in the team is said to have transformed the levels of commitment to playing for country amongst his team mates.

This is first major punditry assignment following his retirement and has so far been great. In the opening game of the tournament for instance between Italy and Turkey his analysis came in handy having played for clubs football in both countries during his active days on the pitch.  

Stephen Appiah’s ability to relate some of the highlights of the tournament to his own playing days as well as those he has come across have been a simple delight to watch.

Appiah is currently retired and focusing on family and private business endeavours. He has also executed some endorsement deals for brands including Betway, Total Petroleum, Vita Milk, X Mineral Water and telecom giants, MTN.

After a fulfilling career that saw him play at Accra Hearts of Oak Brescia, Udinese, Parma, Juventus, Fenabahce, Bologna Cesena and Voivodina. Appiah was also a member of Ghana’s Under-17 world cup winning team in 1995. In 2017, He was also named team manager of the Black Stars of Ghana under Coach Kwasi Appiah’s tenure.

Laryea Kingston

One of the biggest attractions during this broadcast, he has established himself well in the space with his tactical board analysis.

This is a familiar space for the former Black Stars midfielder who was one of the best performing pundits for Super Sport DSTVs Africa Cup of Nations broadcast as he had his first stint with the Multimedia Group back in 2013 during the Africa Cup of Nations broadcast on Multi TV on the then functional Joy Sports Channel. He joined the likes of Coach Nana Agyeman, Coach J.E. Sarpong and others for the successful roll out.

His depth of understanding of the game is always brought to bear when he has to break down the tactical structure of each team. Kingston is currently the Under 18 coach of Right to Dream Academy and is also working on acquiring his CAF and UEFA badges.  

Kingston contributed to Ghana’s 2006 World Cup qualification but could not make the squad due to a red card at the preceding Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt. He played for Great Olympics Hearts of Oak, Hapoel Tel Aviv, Hapoel Be’er Sheva, Hearts of Midlothian, Vitesse Arnhem, Krylia Sovietov, Terek Grozny and Phoenix FC.

 Michael Potter

A former striker of Bolton Wanderers forward, Michael A Potter is a fine mix of expertise in multi sports and business consultancy.

He is an International Management Development Trainer, Writer, Speaker, Globalist and People Expert. He is one of the Leading Non-Academic Global Training and Management Development Consultants and has worked in an advisory capacity for various Global Organizations.

Michael is trained in Business Studies from the University of Liverpool and also holds an MA in Organizational Analysis and Behaviour from the University of Lancaster, UK. He is also a Chartered Fellow of the UK's Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) and a former visiting lecturer to the University of Liverpool.

In 1974 Potter signed for the Bolton Wanderers Football Club who were then competing in the English Football League Division 1. After retiring from football, in 1987 Potter played Rugby Union as a fly-half/winger. He represented Warrington RUFC and also Vale of Lune RUFC. He retired from Rugby Union in 1993, aged 34 years. He also played cricket for years, as an all-rounder.

The host

Nathaniel Attoh’s pacey but calculated and exciting presentation on the live match day broadcast is a culmination of years of experience on various platforms within the Multimedia stables in Ghana.

He led the then Joy Sports channel’s coverage of the 2013 edition of the Africa Cup of Nations which was also received with great numbers of viewership.

His flair for smooth moderation with bits of humour have always made the conversations worth getting glued to. As a journalist, Nathaniel has coverage experience from big football platforms including the FIFA World Cup, the Africa Cup of Nations and the English Premier League.     

Style element

The host Nathaniel Attoh has also brought his great sense of style to bear on the roll out of this month long European football fiesta.

It will be remembered that Nathaniel who is also the Host of Sports Today on the Joy News channel has made it into many men’s grooming top charts and acknowledgements.

In 2018, he won the prestigious Glitz Africa Style Awards Media Personality of the Year Award, after being nominated in the same category two previous times. The category has since been rested. He has also been nominated at least twice in the best styled category of the EMY Africa Awards, which he has hosted four times.

He has also been named among the best-dressed gentlemen including the authoritative Graphic Showbiz, Slayers TV and entertainment style review show and others. What adds to the aesthetic beauty of the broadcast is the mixture of different colours and themes of the formal men’s look.

A month after the three pundits, Stephen Appiah is also heavily associated with fashion. The former Black Stars captain has also been recognized heavily for his style inspiration cultivated from his years of living in Italy, one of the world’s fashion hubs and sinking himself in the stimulus from there.

The depth

The average viewer is taken into different elements and aspects of the game during each build up and the eventual commentary.

The well-researched story lines leading to the pre-match formalities have enhanced the conversations and commentary and eventually put up a good look and feel to the whole coverage.

The punditry and commentary, fully reflects the true universal nature of football which fuses cultural, geographic, social and economic angles. 

The commentators

The Joy Sports pair of George Addo Jnr and Gary Al-Smith have established a classy dominance in the space in the last few years.

With years of varied experience as journalists, George and Gary, both products of Presbyterian Boys Secondary School (Presec, Legon) have led the Joy Sports commentary with great energy and always bring new twists and bits of history and statistics to each game.

More impressive about it all is the fact that the pair is venturing into television football commentary for the first time – it has been flawless and world class.

The painstaking descriptions, the facts, the figures and the rare back stories always make it a pleasure to follow on television.

But this may not be surprising as the pair have honed their craft over the years on various platforms. They have run successful commentaries on the FIFA World Cup, Africa Cup of Nations, the UEFA Champions’ League and the Ghana Premier League. Match in match out and tournament in tournament out, they have brought something new to the table.

Added to these are various other coverage and interview experiences with big names in the world of football. They include Gianni Infatino, Pep Guardiola and Kevin De Bruyne.