Last Updated on 02/11/2023 by てんしょく飯
Shohei Ohtani of the Angels (28) is expected to play in the WBC, which opens on March 9. His market value in the advertising industry may increase further after the tournament.
Ohtani is expected to be the highest-paid player in history by most of the U.S. media after the end of the season.
Otani, whose current salary is $30 million, will become a free agent after this season, and many U.S. media outlets are predicting that he will receive a contract worth $500 million, the most in history. On February 8, owner Artie Moreno mentioned Ohtani’s departure in Miami, Florida, where the owners’ meeting was being held. On February 8, owner Artie Moreno said in Miami, Florida, where the owners’ meeting was held, “We are in the top 10 [in terms of total annual salary],” and expressed his positive attitude toward a new contract.
Sponsorship deals are pouring in after the tournament.
The WBC has been a major open competition this offseason, and while the two-sport competition between the richest teams is likely to exceed $500 million in value, the off-field side of the equation is likely to be even more lucrative, as companies will be lining up to sponsor Otani if he wins the MVP award or is recognized for his performance.
In the past, the WBC has not attracted much attention in North and Central America because it coincides with the Major League Baseball Open Tournament and the NCAA Tournament, the college basketball tournament known as “March Madness. Television coverage has lagged behind the open games and college basketball in terms of viewership, but the players who have won MVP awards in the WBC have been well rewarded nonetheless.
Robinson Cano (then of the Yankees), who was named MVP after helping the Dominican Republic win its first championship as the mainstay of the 2013 tournament, signed three new contracts with beverage, sporting goods, and precision machinery manufacturers from the tournament to the following 2014. According to U.S. media at the time, the annual contractual fees from the sponsors alone brought in about $1 million per company.
Marcus Stroman (then with the Blue Jays), who led the U.S. team to its first victory as the ace of the 2017 tournament, was sponsored by two companies, a consumer credit company and a sporting goods manufacturer, for his performance in the WBC.
If Ohtani, who is now one of the most high-profile players in the majors, goes on to win the world championship and is named MVP of this year’s tournament, the offers from companies will be unmatched by past winners.
According to the results of a survey released last October by Sponsors United, a major U.S. sports marketing company, Ohtani has signed sponsorship contracts with 17 companies, surpassing Yankee Judge’s 13, the most in Major League history. Last season’s annual sponsorship fee of $20 million (approximately 2.63 billion yen) was also the highest in history. Last December, a global advertising contract was signed with a cosmetics manufacturer, adding a new sponsor company to the list.
A U.S. broadcaster said.
Last year, TV commercials were aired in the U.S. for a video game console manufacturer, for which Ohtani served as a cover athlete. There wasn’t a day that went by that I didn’t see Ohtani on TV or in online videos, partly because of his success in his day job. Last season, attendance at the seven promotional day games where Ohtani related goods were distributed averaged 41,000, much higher than the team’s average of 30,339 per game. There is no doubt that he is now the most seasoned player in the majors, both in terms of ability and popularity, based on his two-fisted performance to date. Until now, Otani’s sponsors have mainly been Japanese companies, but there is no end to the number of overseas companies that want to use Otani as their image character in order to increase the value of their own brands and promote their products due to his high profile not only in the U.S. but worldwide.
The contract fee per company is approximately one million dollars.
The United States is leading the way in this year’s tournament, with countries in North and Central America forming a “baseball version of the Dream Team,” and the pre-tournament momentum has been unprecedentedly high. In addition, FОX, one of the three major U.S. networks, has acquired the broadcasting rights. MLB is hoping that the number of viewers will be the largest in its history. If Ohtani plays well in the tournament, his name recognition and attention as a two-sport athlete will increase even more.
The way Otani will be used remains uncertain, but if he plays as a pitcher and hitter and contributes to Japan’s first victory in three tournaments, he could be in line to win the MVP award. If that happens, offers from companies will probably pour in.
Based on last year’s sponsorship income, the contract fee per sponsor is about $1 million per company. If the number of sponsors increases by five companies after the tournament, the contract fee will increase by about $5 million to a total of about $30 million.
This offseason, will the additional income hit the ceiling before the large contracts are awarded?
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