The Los Angeles Dodgers signed Shohei Ohtani to a ten-year, $700 million contract in December 2023, the highest contract in sports history at the time. And the American media said sources revealed that the huge contract had recouped the entire amount in the first year, adding that outsiders still underestimated Ohtani's huge impact in Japan. As many as 60 Japanese reporters follow Ohtani at Dodger Stadium, and that kind of attention translates directly to a large number of fans from Japan. The Dodgers have also signed a large number of Japanese corporations to sponsorship deals, more than 14 last year alone. Through the Otani effect in Japan and around the world, the Dodgers have taken their brand influence and value to a whole new level.