Shohei Ohtani's Commercial Triumph: US Media Reports Dodgers Have Recouped Their $1 Billion Investment

Two years ago, the Los Angeles Dodgers secured Japanese star Shohei Ohtani with a historic 10-year, $700 million deal (around 5.06 billion RMB), which prompted discussions about the return on investment at the time. Yet within only 22 months, American reporters concluded that the Dodgers have already made back their money.

Joon Lee, a former Korean-American reporter for ESPN covering Major League Baseball, recently analyzed on social platform X that after acquiring Shohei Ohtani, the Dodgers achieved a rare global sports feat: his extraordinary performance helped the Dodgers transcend baseball itself and become part of global pop culture.

He cited Dodgers executives who stated that Ohtani’s 10-year, $700 million contract had fully paid off by the end of its first season.

On October 18, during Game 4 of the National League Championship Series, Ohtani displayed an unbeatable two-way performance, pitching six innings with 10 strikeouts and hitting three home runs in a single game, hailed by teammates as one of the greatest games in baseball history. Joon Lee analyzed that Ohtani generated off-field benefits equivalent to recouping the $700 million investment in just one season, marking an unprecedented commercial success.

Joon Lee pointed out that although the Dodgers’ revenue in 2024 was $750 million, this figure alone "underestimates the massive financial impact Ohtani has brought to the team."

Firstly, Ohtani is followed in Japan like a head of state, with up to 60 Japanese journalists attending each Dodgers game to track his every move. This level of attention translates into tourism revenue. According to The Wall Street Journal, since Ohtani joined the Dodgers, tourists traveling from Japan to Los Angeles have increased by 90%, with 90% of them attending at least one Dodgers game. Beyond tourism, the Ohtani effect has attracted more international brands to partner with the Dodgers. "Many brands, whether from Japan or elsewhere, want to leverage the Ohtani effect by aligning with the Dodgers. While baseball has many great players, there is only one Shohei Ohtani, which raises the value of advertising partnerships." After signing Ohtani and Japanese pitcher Yusuke Yamamoto, the Dodgers secured major collaborations with several Japanese companies, including JTB, Kose, and All Nippon Airways, further expanding their brand influence.