Since Joining Last December, Ticket and Uniform Sales Up
Increasing Number of Japanese Traveling to the US to Watch Games
"This Ohtani Moment Is a Turning Point in Baseball"
Shohei Ohtani (30, LA Dodgers), a Japanese-born Major League Baseball (MLB) player known as the "1 trillion won man," is generating great expectations for the "Ohtani economic effect" as his popularity leads to a surge in game ticket and uniform sales, as well as an influx of tourists.
On the 23rd, Bloomberg and The New York Times (NYT) highlighted the economic impact Ohtani is creating, noting that the $700 million (approximately 940 billion won) man of the LA Dodgers is opening the possibility of becoming the most powerful player to attract worldwide attention since MLB legend Babe Ruth. Having become the top star in Major League Baseball, Ohtani left the LA Angels and joined the LA Dodgers last December with the largest contract in sports history?a 10-year, $700 million deal.
When a star player signs a contract, fans' first interest is usually in the player's uniforms or shirts sold by the team. Online sales of LA Dodgers shirts bearing Ohtani's name are twice the volume of those for Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami soccer team uniforms in the U.S., who is the world's top soccer star. The same phenomenon occurred when Messi first signed, but Ohtani has surpassed Messi.
The average resale ticket price for baseball games held at the LA Dodgers' home stadium has already risen by more than 10%, from $180 to $200, and ticket sales, including overseas sales, have tripled compared to before. In particular, the opening game between the LA Dodgers and the St. Louis Cardinals on the 28th had an average resale ticket price of $567. This is 38% higher than the high-demand opening game between the Texas Rangers and the Chicago Cubs.
The LA Dodgers expect to generate tens of millions of dollars in additional revenue annually thanks to Ohtani. Sales are already so strong that they cannot keep up with the demand for Ohtani shirts, and it is predicted that ticket sales will reach 4 million for the first time ever during the season.
Japanese baseball player Ohtani Shohei is attending the press conference immediately after signing with the LA Dodgers in December last year.
As demand to travel from Japan to LA to watch Ohtani's games surges, MLB has formed a multi-year partnership with JTB, Japan's largest travel agency. Following the launch of a travel package for the opening game between the LA Dodgers and the San Diego Padres held in Seoul, JTB plans to offer travel packages for regular-season games held in the U.S. These packages are likely to include airfare, hotel accommodations, transportation from the hotel to the stadium, pre-game tours, and souvenirs.
Kaori Mori, JTB's communications representative, said, "Even people who previously never considered traveling abroad to watch baseball games have now developed an interest in actually going to the stadium," adding, "We regularly send email newsletters about travel products for sports events, and since partnering with MLB, newsletter subscribers have increased by 110% in the past two weeks."
As more fans enthusiastic about Ohtani visit LA in person, the local economy also benefits. Last year, when American pop star Taylor Swift toured across the U.S., hotel prices surged in various locations, revitalizing local economies and giving rise to the term "Swift-nomics."
The American baseball community expects the interest in Ohtani to extend to Major League Baseball as a whole. Recently, TV ratings for the World Series in the U.S. have dropped by 80% compared to their peak. MLB, once considered one of the "big three" sports alongside the National Football League (NFL) and the National Basketball Association (NBA), has seen its popularity decline domestically.
Dave Kaval, president of the Oakland Athletics baseball team, said, "This Ohtani moment is a turning point for baseball," adding, "Baseball has always been a domestic sport. Now it offers an opportunity to go beyond domestic sports." Stan Kasten, president of the LA Dodgers, also praised Ohtani, saying, "There are very few players who can significantly change ticket sales or sponsorships on an individual level. Ohtani is one of those very rare players." David Roberts, manager of the LA Dodgers, mentioned not only Ohtani but also other team players, emphasizing, "This is the perfect opportunity for baseball to regain market share from other sports," and stated, "Our goal is to become the most famous sport in the world."
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