How Can Shohei Ohtani Make Michael Jordan’s Level of Impact on MLB?

Baseball superstar Shohei Ohtani grabbed all the headlines with his blockbuster move to the Los Angeles Dodgers. The massive 10-year $700 million contract eclipsed a lot of superstars’ deals not just from the MLB but also from other major leagues in the world. Notably, it was bigger than one of the biggest contracts signed by NBA legend Michael Jordan even after it was adjusted for inflation.

This has led to an increase in comparisons between Ohtani and Jordan. The two-way star has been multiple times compared to the 6x NBA champion in the past for his impressive performances. However, this time, some expect him to have the same impact on the whole league as His Airness did.

Shohei Ohtani is expected to match the impact of Michael Jordan

It was a huge day for every Dodgers fan when Shohei Ohtani was introduced to the world as a Dodger in a press conference. Despite the massive contract, the Japanese star remained as simple as ever. After six years with the Angels, the 2x MVP joined the Dodgers. Before the move, he was linked with the Toronto Blue Jays. So, after the deal was announced, many Blue Jays fans were furious.

The reports of Blue Jays also offering a $700 million contract added salt to the fans’ wounds. However, MLB announcer Bob Costas believes Ohtani’s move to the Dodgers was the correct one and it could prove to be a huge boost for the whole league. Costas expressed that the 3x All-Star could make the same impact as Michael Jordan.

During a recent podcast appearance on Foul Territory, Costas talked about this when asked about the unhappy Toronto fans. “If you’re talking about baseball overall, and Ohtani at this point is about as close to what Michael Jordan was,” Costas said. “Michael Jordan was an asset to the entire NBA, not just to the Chicago Bulls. So if you’re trying to maximize that asset—public fascination—where even casual fans want to tune in for it, you want to maximize that? The Dodgers are a better place for that than Toronto.”

He added that this is the best chance for the 30-year-old to be in a huge market with massive marketing possibilities. Costas also said that this is a great opportunity for Ohtani to reach the postseason and possibly the World Series as well.

Michael Jordan took the NBA to great heights

Michael Jordan was not just a great basketball player, he was one of the best athletes the world has ever seen. With his impressive performances, Jordan helped the league grow massively. He played a huge part in taking the NBA and basketball worldwide with his incredible displays on the world stage clinching multiple Olympic Gold medals. During his playing career, the sport grew exponentially. This helped him and the NBA make a huge fortune.

Magic Johnson and the Showtime Lakers initially brought fans to the arena and helped improve TV ratings. Then came Jordan who took the league to greater heights. In 1986, the NBA signed a two-year $25 million Cable TV contract with TBS. It doubled in the next term with a two-year $50 million contract with TBS/TNT. As MJ became a superstar in the league, the numbers grew exponentially in the next term.

Notably, the league signed a four-year $275 million Cable TV deal with TNT in 1990 as per InsideHoops. The $68.75 million per year was a huge leap from the $25 million at the time. It grew to $397 million for the next four years as well. At the end of MJ’s time with the Chicago Bulls, the league reached a whopping four-year $840 million Cable TV deal.

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The same goes for Network TV contracts as well. In 1986, the NBA had a four-year $173 million deal with CBS. Fast forward four years, the league then struck a massive four-year $601 million contract with CBS. As Jordan grew, the money kept coming in and crossed the billion mark in 1998 with a four-year $1.616 billion contract. But it was not without reason.

Michael Jordan’s massive impact

Michael Jordan massively increased TV viewership. In the 1990 NBA Finals between the Detroit Pistons and the Portland Trail Blazers, the highest TV rating was 13.4 as per Sports Media Watch. When Jordan and the Bulls faced the Los Angeles Lakers in the next year, the highest rating was 19.7. Whenever MJ and the Bulls played in the Finals, the ratings were higher than usual.

In the 1993 Finals, the highest TV rating was 20.3. During the Bulls’ two-year absence after Jordan’s first retirement, viewership took a hit. The highest TV rating was 17.9 in 1994 and just 14.9 in 1995. With MJ back in the Finals, the numbers went up again with the highest being 18.8, 18.5 (28.70 million views), and 22.3 (35.89 million views) in the next three years, respectively. It went back down after his second retirement showing significant proof about Jordan’s impact on the league.

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The enhanced viewership and TV deals in turn helped every team and player in the NBA. With the improved money flow, teams could offer bigger contracts to their players, afford better facilities, hire elite medical staff, etc. Even though there were other factors, it is safe to say the 5x NBA MVP played a huge part in the overall development of everyone involved.

Shohei Ohtani has the required tools

Michael Jordan also reaped and continues to reap the benefits of his success. His tremendous popularity helped him earn millions in endorsements. He was one of the best marketable athletes ever and fans loved his commercials as well. Despite only making $93 million from NBA salary, MJ became the first former athlete to be a billionaire thanks to his endorsements. He currently has an estimated net worth of $3 billion.

Shohei Ohtani already has two MVPs to his name one more than Jordan in his first six years in the league. Ohtani is regarded as this generation’s Babe Ruth by many. Similar to MJ, the Japanese struggled to achieve team success so far. Many believe the two-way superstar could finally win titles with the Dodgers.

The MLB was the pioneer of sports league streaming with MLB.TV which helped them stay ahead of the curve. Also, the league reached a seven-year $3.85 billion deal with ESPN for media rights in 2021. The league also signed deals with Apple for Friday night games and Peacock for Sunday morning games in 2022.

Ohtani is already a very marketable player with millions of fans around the world. He has signed huge deals with major brands like New Balance, Fanatics, Mitsubishi, etc. With the Dodgers’ massive market, his popularity could only grow. This could certainly have a huge impact and be a massive boost to the league’s viewership. If he continues to rise and win championships, he could have the same impact Jordan had.