An employee distributes an extra edition of the Yomiuri Shimbun reporting on Shohei Ohtani’s trade to the Dodgers on Dec. 10 in Tokyo. (Eugene Hoshiko – The Associated Press)
Written by David Brandt
Shohei Ohtani’s stunning $700 million, 10-year deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers has some similarities to other contracts of the world’s biggest sports stars, including soccer icons Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, along with NFL quarterback Patrick Mahomes. .
Regarding its marketability, experts point to another name.
The real comparison? Try Taylor Swift.
The broad appeal of this global music sensation – bridging the generation gap and extending to other countries – is an extremely rare phenomenon that Ohtani shares. There’s no doubt that the Dodgers are hoping they can capitalize on the Japanese star’s access to more money for a franchise that’s already one of the most popular franchises in Major League Baseball.
“He has ascended into the stratosphere himself,” said sports agent Lee Steinberg.
Ohtani was expected to sign the biggest deal in MLB history as a free agent this offseason and he did not disappoint. He’s the best two-way catcher the sport has ever seen — not even Babe Ruth effectively hits and pitches at the same time — and although he won’t be able to pitch in 2024 after Tommy John surgery, he should provide plenty of value at the plate. Before returning to the Hill in 2025.
But the $700 million price tag was more than most people could imagine.
His average salary of $70 million is 62% above the previous high of about $43.3 million, shared by pitchers Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander with the deals they made with the New York Mets. Ohtani’s average salary nearly doubles the nearly $42.3 million he earned over six seasons with the Angels. It also exceeds the entire salaries of Baltimore and Oakland this year.
The reason the Dodgers are making this kind of commitment is simple: Maybe it’s worth it. Not just because he can help win a World Series, but because of the value he brings even if he doesn’t.
“If Ohtani is marketed correctly, he is a world-class iconic player,” said Mike Lewis, a marketing professor at Emory University who specializes in sports business. “It might be like something out of Formula 1, where you have the attention of the whole world. Baseball has sometimes struggled to attract national attention, but it is the kind of thing that attracts millions of eyes, and not just from the States.
The Dodgers have had no problem attracting eyeballs over the past several years. They’re a perennially successful franchise — winning the NL West 10 championship the past 11 seasons and the World Series in 2020 — and averaged more than 47,000 fans per game last year, the best in the sport. They dished out big money to stars like Freddie Freeman, Mookie Betts and Clayton Kershaw.
But nothing compares to Ohtani.
Lewis, the Emory professor, said the spike in interest was comparable to the Inter Miami match in Major League Soccer, which saw a huge jump in online engagement, especially on Instagram, after Messi’s signing.
As of December 10, the Dodgers Instagram account had 3.2 million followers. Ohtani alone has 6.3 million.
And this is just the tip of the iceberg. The average fan understands that Ohtani will generate revenue by selling more tickets, concessions and t-shirts.
But no player commands more attention internationally, especially in Ohtani’s home country of Japan, with a baseball-mad population of 126 million. Ohtani already has a host of sponsors targeting audiences on both sides of the Pacific, including New Balance, ASICS and Porsche Japan.
For the Dodgers, its international appeal means that more companies in the United States and abroad are interested in advertising — Japanese companies often paid for prime advertising space around Angel Stadium when Ohtani was in Anaheim. This alone brings a string of cash that could pay off a significant portion of Ohtani’s deal.
For creative people in the advertising industry, the possibilities are almost endless.
This is where Swift comparisons come into play.
Swift has been a dominant force in 2023, due in part to “The Eras Tour,” which sold out shows coast to coast. But then she took it to the next level, developing a film for that tour that brought millions of fans to theaters across the country. Fans are obsessing over her every move on social media, including her budding romance with NFL star Travis Kelce.
Ohtani is probably the same type of star. His free agency generated the kind of online sleuthing and hysteria typically associated with Swifties, as fans frantically tracked private jet movements and alleged sightings in an attempt to ascertain which suitors would land on Ohtani. Like Swift, Ohtani also starred in a documentary this year, produced by ESPN.
There’s also the fact that among athletes, it’s fairly low risk. He had no hint of controversy during his career, producing a clear image that any potential advertiser could get behind. In fact, surprisingly, fans know very little about his personal life – which seems to only add to the curiosity.
Steinberg, a retired agent, said he’s sure every MLB team interested in Ohtani has done a revenue forecast to estimate how much money Ohtani will generate, even before he touches the field. If the Dodgers are willing to pay $700 million to get him, he’s confident they’ve done their homework.
Monster owners. Potential dominance on the mound. It’s a Hollywood script that the Dodgers hope will become a reality.
“He’s handsome and a big box office hit,” Steinberg said. “There are very few players who can keep up with him. He has the appeal of everyone.”
The Los Angeles Dodgers have made a groundbreaking move by signing Shohei Ohtani to a $700 million deal, which includes both hitting and pitching. This move not only showcases Ohtani’s unique talent as a two-way player, but also the recognition of his marketability and ability to draw in fans. The Dodgers’ investment in Ohtani not only highlights their commitment to winning on the field, but also their understanding of the business side of the game. Ohtani’s ability to sell tickets and merchandise adds a new dimension to this historic deal, making it a truly game-changing move for the organization.