Economic Impact of 794.1 Billion Won... Otani, Who Created the 50-50 Myth, Which Companies Benefit?

Economic Value Estimation by Japanese Professor
Companies Using Otani Model Gain Massive Promotional Effects

Companies related to Shohei Ohtani, the baseball player who set the Major League Baseball record for the first-ever 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases, are benefiting. Bloomberg reported that Ohtani is generating enormous promotional effects in both the United States and Japan. Katsuhiro Miyamoto, an emeritus professor at Kansai University, told Bloomberg that Ohtani's economic impact is estimated to reach 87 billion yen (approximately 794.1 billion KRW).

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The biggest beneficiary through Ohtani is Deep Corporation, which operates a job search site. The company launched an advertising campaign featuring Ohtani, and its stock price rose 8.7% after the Major League season opened in March. Additionally, the company's operating profit in the first quarter of this year increased by 20% compared to the previous year, marking the best performance since its establishment.

Takoyaki chain Gindaco is also among the beneficiaries. In May, the company announced a sponsorship deal with Ohtani's team, the LA Dodgers, and began selling products at stores opened in baseball stadiums. The company's stock price has risen 22% since the season started. The Japanese cosmetics company Kose, which partnered with Ohtani, also offset stock price declines caused by the economic downturn in China, according to the report.

Ohtani's 50th home run ball was put up for auction and is currently priced at over 2 billion KRW. The asking price continues to rise, making it possible for the ball to become the most expensive baseball in the world. Global commerce platform eBay announced that the LA Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani 50th home run ball was auctioned on the 27th (local time) on "Goldin." Goldin is a collectibles marketplace acquired by eBay. The auction continues until 10 PM on the 22nd (11 AM on the 23rd Korean time). Participation is possible through Goldin. The starting bid was $500,000 (approximately 660 million KRW), but it has now soared to $1.8 million.

However, Ohtani himself is said to be underpaid. Fox Sports in the U.S. published an article titled "Shohei Ohtani: The $700 million man who is somehow underpaid." It stated that Ohtani, one of the most attractive and beloved players in Major League Baseball, is undervalued compared to his worth. Fox Sports evaluated, "Ohtani earns $70 million annually and has signed a total $700 million contract over 10 years, but he is truly underpaid."