The Stadium Shop Era and Limited Revenue Structure
From the 1970s through the 1990s, NPB's merchandise business was limited, centered on stadium shops. Product lines focused on standard items such as pennants, megaphones, cheering bats, and player bromides, with low design sophistication and virtually no fashion-conscious product development. Merchandise sales accounted for only about 5% of total team revenue, with low management priority. The characteristic of merchandise business in this era was its positioning as 'souvenir sales' for fans visiting the stadium, with products not designed for everyday use. While popular teams like the Giants and Tigers secured steady sales, it was not uncommon for Pacific League teams to have annual merchandise sales of only tens of millions of yen. The merchandise business was merely a 'bonus' in team management.
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The Fashion Revolution and Brand Collaboration Impact
Entering the 2010s, NPB's merchandise business underwent a major transformation. The pioneer was the Yokohama DeNA BayStars' merchandise strategy. After DeNA acquired the team in 2012, they introduced IT company marketing methods and dramatically improved merchandise design quality. The shift from traditional 'cheering goods' to 'everyday fashion items' achieved designs intended for wear outside the stadium, cultivating new customer segments. Even more impactful was the active development of collaborations with fashion brands by various teams. The Hanshin Tigers and BEAMS collaboration, Hiroshima Toyo Carp's 'Carp Girls' merchandise line, and Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks' street fashion direction each established unique brand identities. Merchandise transformed from 'cheering tools' to 'tools of self-expression.'
E-Commerce Expansion and Digital Commerce Growth
What accelerated merchandise business growth was the full-scale development of e-commerce sites. Merchandise that could previously only be purchased at stadium shops became available from anywhere in the country through team official online shops and platforms like Rakuten and Amazon. This change was groundbreaking for fans living in rural areas or unable to visit stadiums. Particularly noteworthy is that e-commerce enabled the visualization of merchandise sales data. Real-time understanding of which products were selling, when, and in which regions became possible, enabling demand-forecast-based production planning and targeted marketing. During the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, when stadium sales were restricted, some teams saw e-commerce sales surge over 200% year-over-year, decisively establishing the importance of digital commerce.
Merchandise Revenue Structure and Future Outlook
Currently, NPB's merchandise business has grown to account for 15% to 20% of team revenue, becoming the third revenue pillar after broadcasting rights and ticket sales. The Hiroshima Toyo Carp in particular reportedly exceeds 5 billion yen in annual merchandise sales, symbolizing the importance of product sales in team management. Future growth areas of note include NFT and digital merchandise development. While NFT trading cards created a temporary boom in MLB, NPB is also exploring possibilities for player digital collectibles and virtual goods. Cross-border e-commerce for overseas fans is also an untapped market. With international interest in Japanese baseball rising due to the Shohei Ohtani effect, overseas sales of NPB merchandise hold significant growth potential. The merchandise business will likely become increasingly important as a means of directly monetizing teams' brand power.
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