Shohei Ohtani and the richest contract in sport

A closer look at the LA Dodgers' creatively structured move for baseball's unicorn shows why they decided to go all-in on a global phenomenon

Shohei Ohtani inked the biggest contract in global sport in December when he signed a 10-year deal worth $700m to play for the LA Dodgers of Major League Baseball from 2024 to 2033.

Ohtani, 29, was born and raised in Japan, and is already regarded as one of the greatest baseball players of all time. Nicknamed ‘Shotime’, he is both an elite hitter and an elite pitcher, or a ‘two-way player’ in baseball parlance; it’s a rare combination to begin with - and to be as good as Ohtani is on both sides of the game makes him a sporting unicorn.

My definition of ‘biggest contract’ is the total value of any current contract of an athlete in a team sport for exploits on the field. Endorsements and personal sponsorships or extra-curricular revenues are not included.

There are a few sportsmen who, in 2024, are earning more than Ohtani’s $70m a year, including Cristiano Ronaldo in Saudi Arabia, but his on-pitch deal isn’t worth anything close to $700m. 

There are also high-earning individuals in other sports, from Formula 1’s Lewis Hamilton to boxing’s Canelo Alvarez to golf’s Jon Rahm - who joined LIV Golf in a deal reported to be worth $500m in the same week as Ohtani signed with the Dodgers. They earn money from their commitments to certain events, as well as prize money, bonuses and personal endorsements. Again, none has a single contract as big as Ohtani’s.