A Dodgers-Yankees World Series sees the rich getting richer
If the idea of the rich getting richer doesn't float your boat, a Yankees-Dodgers World Series matchup probably isn't for you.
Looking strictly at the game on the field, this is a rare matchup. The teams haven't played each other for a championship since 1981. It's the first matchup of the American League (Aaron Judge) and National League (Shohei Ohtani) home run leaders in a World Series since 1956. Some estimate that seven future Hall of Famers — Judge, Ohtani, Juan Soto, Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, Gerrit Cole and Giancarlo Stanton — will take the field in the best-of-seven series. Another, Clayton Kershaw, will be in uniform in the Dodgers' dugout, but too injured to pitch.
From a business standpoint, no two baseball teams were hurting for brand exposure less than the Yankees and Dodgers. A new report by SponsorUnited illuminates just how true this is.
Using data compiled from Feb. 15, 2024 to Oct. 9, the report analyzed brand sponsorships, endorsements, and social engagement across MLB and its athletes. The Dodgers in particular helped Japanese brands gain tremendous exposure as they lined up to buy a background presence in Dodger Stadium for every Ohtani at-bat.
In general, team sponsorship revenues increased 55 percent since 2022. But the distribution of that growth was not equal. In an interview with Forbes, SponsorUnited CEO and Co-Founder Bob Lynch said the Dodgers "represent a staggering amount of the team total for sponsorships. Combined with the Yankees, at close to $300 million for 2024, the sponsorship revenue total exceeds many clubs in the NFL. "
According to the Global Advisory Firm Stout, a team's success on the field can lead to greater demand for tickets and other revenue streams within a stadium, and also increase the value of broadcast rights and sponsorships.
Get used to another year of the Dodgers and Yankees getting the lion's share of Sunday Night Baseball appearances on ESPN, consuming the air time on national sports talk shows, and their swag filling the shelves of retailers in places nowhere near Los Angeles and New York.
Love 'em or hate 'em, the Yankees and Dodgers just became even more difficult to ignore.
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