Shohei Ohtani’s Record-Breaking Commercial Popularity Highlights the Growing Value of Athletes

Ohtani’s commercials don’t see a drop in viewership

The viewership ratings for the MLB Opening Series Cubs vs. Dodgers Game 2, broadcast live on March 19 on the Nippon TV network, were announced on March 21. The household average rating was 29.5% (according to Video Research, Kanto area).

The individual rating was 18.6%, and the peak moment rating was 33.7% at 8:30 PM when Shohei Ohtani (30) hit his first home run of the season, surpassing the ratings of the “Hakone Ekiden” broadcast on January 2 and 3 of this year.

“Besides Ohtani’s home run, there were also impressive performances by pitchers Yoshinobu Yamamoto (26) and Roki Sasaki (23), and Shohta Imanaga (31) of the Cubs making his homecoming appearance, so the high numbers are understandable. However, Ohtani’s appearances in commercials also contributed to the high viewership,” said an employee of a major PR company.

Here’s the explanation. The PR employee continued:

“Usually, commercial breaks are referred to as toilet time and tend to see a drop in ratings. However, this time, the new commercials featuring Ohtani seemed to prevent the ratings from dropping. The ‘Secom’ commercial with Shigeo Nagashima (89) was a hot topic.”

“Commercials for ‘Oii Ocha,’ ‘Nisshin Seifun Welna,’ ‘Kose Cosme Decorte,’ and others have been delivered to the staff rooms of various TV stations since March. We’ve received an unusually high number of requests for materials and inquiries from TV networks. This is rare.”

“In fact, since around the year before last, terms like ‘Ohtani effect’ or ‘Ohtani sells’ have become widespread in the advertising industry. Last year, he signed contracts with 18 companies. From July to December of last year, his commercials aired 4,543 times (according to an article published by Sankei Shimbun on March 18). Many companies are seeing their sales increase thanks to Ohtani’s commercial appearances,” the employee added.

CM shooting is completed within 2 hours

There are several “CM kings” and “CM queens” who have contracts with dozens of companies, but Ohtani surpasses them in both the number of contracts and contract value.

At the end of last year, Ohtani topped the “Celebrity and Talent Ranking Expected to Contribute to Sales” in the male category for two consecutive years in Nikkei MJ. The second place was Kento Kaku (35), and the third was Ren Meguro (28). In the female category, the first place went to Haruka Ayase (40), with Saori Ito (30) and Yumi Kawai (24) tied for second place.

“They are all incredibly popular, and anyone who appears in a commercial is likely to contribute to sales, but viewers understand that no one can surpass Ohtani,” says an industry insider.

According to an advertising agency insider, Ohtani’s contract stipulates that the CM shoot must be completed within two hours. In that time, not only the main shooting, but also interview videos for the website and poster photos must be completed.

“It’s tough for the staff. Even the contract fees have skyrocketed, reaching a record-breaking 900 million yen (per year per contract), making Ohtani the number one in Japanese CM history as of last year. Yet, clients continue to seek him out,” says a CM creator.

Ohtani, who got married last year and will soon become a father, is broadening his personal horizons, and it’s certain that CM offers will continue to flood in.

“Many clients explicitly state that they will support Ohtani’s training, sleep, and travel with their products and services. This is rare for a talent’s CM. His popularity, skills, and image are all impeccable, with absolutely no negative aspects. Plus, Ohtani is on the news morning, noon, and night, constantly exposed with his images and name, making him an unprecedented superstar in the CM industry. Even Ichiro (51), Mao Asada (34), and Yuzuru Hanyu (30) couldn’t achieve this feat,” says the previous creator.

Ohtani has not only significantly increased the value of athletes in the CM industry but also changed the norms and history of the advertising world.