Shohei Ohtani becomes 4th athlete in history to reach $100 million in endorsements

Shohei Ohtani became only the fourth athlete in sports history to earn $100 million in endorsements in a single year, according to data from Sportico, which tracks athlete earnings, contracts and endorsement income.

The total is roughly 10 times higher than the previous endorsement ceiling for Major League Baseball players, whose off-field earnings historically peaked at about $10 million annually even among the sport’s most recognizable names, including Derek Jeter and Ichiro Suzuki. The 31-year-old Los Angeles Dodgers star joins Tiger Woods, Roger Federer and Stephen Curry as the only athletes to reach the mark.

Milestone year in income: Under the terms of the 10-year, $700 million contract he signed with the Dodgers in December 2023, Ohtani earned a $2 million salary during the 2025 season. All but $20 million of the deal is deferred and scheduled to be paid from 2034 through 2043. As a result, endorsements made up the vast majority of the reigning MVP’s estimated $102 million in total earnings for the year.

Expanding brand portfolio: Sportico reported that the Japanese-born slugger and pitcher has at least 20 endorsement partners across apparel, collectibles, consumer electronics and food and beverage, including New Balance, Fanatics, Beats by Dre, Ito En and Panasonic. During the 2025 season, when the Dodgers won the World Series, he added about six new endorsement partners, including Epic Games, which made him the first active MLB player to appear in the video game “Fortnite.” Sportico also noted his prominent advertising presence during the Dodgers’ season-opening series in Japan.

In 2021, ESPN commentator Stephen A. Smith questioned Ohtani’s marketability on “First Take,” arguing that his reliance on an interpreter limited his appeal to U.S. audiences. The comments were widely criticized at the time, and Smith later issued a public apology.