A specialist in sports economics says Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Ohtani Shohei will generate over 770 million dollars in benefits this year.
Kansai University Professor Emeritus Miyamoto Katsuhiro calculated the economic effect of the popularity of the Japanese two-way player in US Major League Baseball.
He puts the direct impact at 357 million dollars. This includes sales of tickets, food, merchandise, sponsorship fees, as well as advertisement and broadcasting revenues.
Wages at related companies are also likely to rise, encouraging consumption and further benefits.
The overall figure comes to over 770 million dollars. That’s a twofold jump from last year, when Ohtani was playing for the Los Angeles Angels.
Miyamoto cites his move to the Dodgers as a major factor behind the surge.
He says Ohtani is creating a social phenomenon, and the benefits far exceed what a single athlete can normally generate.
In a related development, a US auction house says the ball used for setting Ohtani’s 50 homer and 50 stolen-base record has been sold for 4.4 million dollars, including handling fees.
The house says the figure is the highest ever paid for a homerun ball.