Talent, image and promotion of specific values. These are the main elements that unite the Japanese baseball player Shohei Ohtani and the Spanish golfer Jon Rahm. The first to sign the richest contract in sports history: 700 million to join the MLB Dodgers. The second was added to LIV Golf for an estimated cost of more than 500 million. Sports branding expert entrepreneur Martina Olivas examines for EFE why her ‘brands’ are worth so much money.
Rahm, the owner of the ‘green jacket’ of the Augusta Masters champion, is a symbol of the PGA. Cold blood, impeccable technique, elegance and a student of the history of his sport. With his signing, the Saudi public fund that finances LIV has acquired the most representative player in the world of golf.
Ohtani He was the prototype of the perfect baseball player, a magnificent two-way player who pitched and hit like only the legendary Babe Ruth did. The Dodgers poached him from their ‘neighbors’, the Angels, with a 10-year, $700 million contract announced less than 48 hours after LIV rocked the golf world.
“Many things. You want the best sporting talent, but you also want the best brand-level assets.. What you want is to transmit those values, so it is super important to take care of everything, from your communication, the image you project, when you project it. Send a specific image and values,” said Olivas, whose company, Woman Goal, is a specialist in talent acquisition and sports branding, to EFE.
Both Rahm and Ohtani project a clean, elegant image, respectful of the sport’s values on the field.aspects in which the LIV and Dodgers brands will benefit from 2024 and this occurred when negotiating the economic conditions of their contracts.
“Sports career is limited and you can also have injuries, so taking care of everything around you is very important. And it’s not just to get better contracts. It’s also related to the issue of training, if you will take care of your image Now, in the future it will also affect you and you will be able to take advantage of other aspects of the sport,” added Olivas.
The golden contracts of Mahomes, Cristiano and Trout
The number of sports contracts has increased in recent years, with protagonists such as NFL quarterbacks Patrick Mahomesdouble Super Bowl champion with the Kansas City Chiefs, the Portuguese Cristiano Ronaldosigned by Saudi Al Nassr, or a baseball player Mike Troutstars of the Angels in MLB, who put their signatures on record deals.
Troutone of the best hitters in MLB, signed a $417 million contract in 2019, which remains the fourth richest ever.
Mahomeswho at 28 is regarded as one of the best quarterbacks ever in the NFL and the heir apparent to Tom Brady, was locked up by the Chiefs in 2020 with a ten-year contract worth nearly $500 million.
On December 30, 2022, Cristiano Ronaldo He signed with Al Nassr for an estimated value of around 200 million euros per year, including commercial agreements.
His arrival in Arabia caused a domino effect that convinced stars like Brazilians Neymar Junior and Roberto Firminothe French Karim Benzemathe Senegalese Sadio Mané and Kalidou Koulibaly or Algeria Riyad Mahrez in joining the Saudi league with stratospheric contracts.
Rahm and the LIV-PGA ‘war’
Amidst negotiations between the PGA, the Saudi public fund (PIF) and the DP World Tour, which currently has December 31 as the deadline to reach a merger agreement, LIV hit the table by poaching Rahm from the US circuit.
The news shook the world of sports and not only because Barrika’s contract was one of the highest ever seen, but also because it was signed by one of the players who seems to be most linked to the tradition and values of the PGA.
because Rahm declared less than six months ago that LIV’s money wouldn’t change his life “one bit” and that his priority is to write his history by playing the oldest traditional matches of his sport on the PGA Tour.
It remains to be seen how Rahm’s arrival will condition negotiations with the PGA. So far, the American circuit has suspended the Spaniard for linking to “several unauthorized contests.”
At the same time, the PGA announced last Sunday that, while talks with LIV remain open, it is looking at options with investor group Strategic Sports Group (SSG).
Ohtani postponed the collection of 680 million
Upon his signing for the Dodgers, Ohtani was guaranteed 700 million dollars, but the Japanese decided to postpone the payment of 680 of them until 2034 and keep two million per year to allow the Los Angeles franchise more room to maneuver now.
And, at 29 years old, Ohtani has changed baseball history with his talent, but he has yet to have a real chance to contend for a Major League title.
He will find it in the Dodgers, who thanks to their short-term rejection of 68 of their 70 million annual salaries will be able to fulfill their promises to stars like Mookie Betts, to whom they owe 33 million annually until 2032, or Freddie Freeman, who will earn 27 million for the year until 2027.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Jason Root, a professional writer working with Today Times Live, the premier news website. I specialize in sports writing, covering the biggest stories in the world of athletics. With an eye for detail and a passion for storytelling, I provide engaging and informative articles that capture the key elements of any event or issue. My work has been featured on numerous respected websites and publications around the world.
