The Shohei Ohtani effect: New $700million man passes Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo’s 48-hour jersey sale record… and LA Dodgers overtake the New York Yankees to become most-followed team on Instagram
- His jersey sold faster on Fanatics than two football icons in 48 hours
- The Dodgers also now have the largest Insta following in baseball
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The immediate impact of Shohei Ohtani signing with the Los Angeles Dodgers is being felt by the team in the form of increased social media followers and jersey sales.
Ohtani's Dodgers jersey broke a long-standing record on the sportswear and memorabilia site Fanatics.
There, the Japanese two-way phenomenon broke the site's record for most jerseys sold in a 48-hour period, surpassing the records previously set by Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Additionally, Ohtani's signing with the Dodgers made them the most followed baseball team on Instagram, just surpassing the New York Yankees.
It's all part of the media frenzy that has followed one of the sport's best athletes in a generation.
Shohei Ohtani broke a Fanatics record for jersey sales in a 48-hour period
His arrival has also increased the Dodgers' Instagram following to the highest in the majors
Ohtani announced his monumental decision to stay in LA over the weekend
Ohtani signed a massive $700 million contract this weekend, becoming the highest-valued sports contract in history.
The $700 million he will earn is $26 million more than Barcelona paid Messi to play between 2017 and 2021.
His average annual payout of $70 million is the fifth best in sports history – behind Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema's deals with their respective clubs in Saudi Arabia, the aforementioned Messi deal and a 2018 signing with boxer Canelo Alvarez to DAZN signed.
But the Japanese star agreed to defer $680 million in cash until the deal expires – meaning he will receive an average of $2 million a year for the next ten years before the rest is paid off for another ten years after that.
Ohtani is valuable as a pitcher and hitter, but an injury suffered last year will keep him from taking the mound next season.
He is expected to pitch again in 2025.
