Following the Dodgers' World Series victory over the Yankees on Wednesday night, sales for Los Angeles merchandise set a Fanatics record for the first hour of sales after a championship-clinching game in any sport.
Fanatics, baseball's official merchandise partner, reported sales were 20% higher in the first 12 hours after the game than during the same period following the Dodgers' 2020 championship.
Fanatics dropped more than 850 different products celebrating the Dodgers' eighth title in the moments after the game concluded.
Japan accounted for around 15.2 million television viewers on average during the first two games of the series, according to MLB. That outpaced the 14.5 million recorded in the U.S., despite the games airing at 9 a.m. in Japan. This enthusiasm was unsurprisingly echoed in merchandise sales as Japan was the second-highest selling country behind the U.S.
The biggest stars on the field were also the biggest money-makers for Fanatics and MLB, as the top-selling players were Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, Mookie Betts, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Clayton Kershaw.
During the World Baseball Classic in Miami in 2023, more than 42% of Japanese households watched their country beat the U.S., according to the New York Times, signaling massive interest in the league, particularly when it comes to players from their home country.
MLBl is leaning into this momentum, planning to open next season with a game in Tokyo between the Dodgers and Chicago Cubs.
Will Stern is a reporter and editor for cllct.