They’re even better at attracting sponsors. The Los Angeles Dodgers are reaping the benefits of the “Ohtani halo effect.
The Dodgers signed free agent Shohei Ohtani to a 10-year, $700 million (approx. $96.7 billion) contract ahead of this season. It was the largest contract in professional sports history.
Ohtani has been a unicorn of a pitcher and hitter in the major leagues.
Last year, he won his second American League MVP award. As the man who started the Idoryu craze, the Dodgers were in the running to sign him as soon as he became eligible for free agency.
Initially, American media speculation put Ohtani’s price tag in the $500-600 million range. However, as the bidding increased, the price far exceeded expectations. Eventually, 카지노사이트 the price soared to $700 million, and the deal was sealed when Ohtani chose the Dodgers because he wanted the familiarity of the West Coast and a winning team.
In fact, the Dodgers were looking for more than just a power boost when they acquired Ohtani.
The direct and indirect advertising benefits are hard to quantify.
Ohtani is currently the biggest star in Major League Baseball. At the same time, he’s already a legendary hero in his native Japan. He’s so popular that Japanese public news channels report on his every move every day. In other words, the Dodgers bought the “Ohtani=Japan” symbolism.
Not surprisingly, he’s also the No. 1 advertising model for companies. Japan’s leading watchmakers, cosmetics manufacturers, the Japanese branch of a luxury car brand, a high-end menswear brand, a major insurance company, and more have all touted Ohtani as their advertising and endorsement models. His commercials are aired on Japanese public television channels almost all day long.
Naturally, the deep pockets of Japanese companies are having a huge impact on the Dodgers organization. “The Dodgers signed six sponsorship deals with Japanese companies in April alone,” according to Dodger Blue. The six companies include ANA (All Nippon Airways), a major airline, a major tire manufacturer, a cosmetics company with Otani as an advertising model, a 100 yen shop, a pharmaceutical brand, and a brand that sells plumbing systems.
Attracting sponsors is directly related to the club’s revenue.
It has the most direct impact on the organization’s self-sustainability and funding.
In addition to Ohtani, the Dodgers also signed Yoshinobu Yamamoto, another famous Japanese pitcher, to a massive 12-year, $325 million contract. With two of Japan’s best players of all time in the organization, it should be easier to attract sponsors.
In addition, the Dodgers have seen jerseys with Ohtani’s name and No. 17 on them sell like hotcakes during spring training. 메이저사이트 The revenue from jerseys and other fan merchandise alone is staggering. Ohtani’s jerseys are in short supply. The official online shop is still backlogged with orders for the jersey, which can take months to arrive.
In terms of direct advertising effects alone, the 96.7 billion won paid to Ohtani is probably not an overpayment for the Dodgers.