ESPN’s new Shohei Ohtani podcast revisits interpreter money scandal
Tisha Thompson leads a six-part 30 for 30 series on the Ohtani money transfers, with new Mizuhara interview audio and ESPN reporting.
By Poppy Nakagawa · Culture Writer
3 min read
ESPN is putting Shohei Ohtani’s money-transfer scandal back under the microscope with a six-part podcast led by investigative reporter Tisha Thompson, the journalist who helped break the story in 2024.
The series, titled “The Betrayal of Shohei Ohtani,” will run under ESPN’s “30 for 30” banner, Variety reported. The first two episodes arrive July 28, with additional installments scheduled for Tuesdays and Thursdays through Aug. 11.
The podcast examines the transfers of large sums from Ohtani’s bank account to illegal bookmakers, and the breakdown of his relationship with Ippei Mizuhara, the interpreter identified in the reporting as the person who used the pitcher’s money to pay gambling debts.
ESPN says the series will include, for the first time, audio from the only press interview Mizuhara has given. Thompson told Variety the conversation was “probably one of the most important interviews I’ve ever done in my career,” as well as “the strangest interview I’ve ever done.”
New reporting on a sports scandal that would not fade
The Ohtani story broke as the baseball star was heading into his first season with the Los Angeles Dodgers after signing a 10-year contract valued at $700 million in 2023. Thompson told Variety that Major League Baseball was heavily promoting Ohtani as a central figure for the sport at the time.
Thompson said the podcast adds fresh material to a story that still follows her in everyday life. She told Variety she gets asked about it at the dentist and while standing on the sidelines at children’s sports events.
“We were able to get a ton of new reporting that people had never heard,” Thompson said, adding that the series also looks at how the growth of wagering has affected sports culture.
Matthew Bowyer, described in ESPN reporting as a bookmaker who operated an illegal gambling business, appears in the podcast. Sports betting remains illegal in California, Variety noted. Thompson said Bowyer discusses how he found wealthy clients, brought them to his sportsbook and kept them betting even when they were “getting in over their heads.”
The podcast also features one investigator connected to the case, according to Thompson, who said listeners will hear from people with firsthand knowledge about what happened and why investigators reached their conclusions.
ESPN leans on investigative roots
The series arrives as ESPN continues to balance expensive sports rights deals with its longer-form journalism brands, including “30 for 30” and “E:60.” Variety reported that ESPN has faced questions over how much investigative work it can keep producing as it becomes more financially tied to major leagues.
Disney has said ESPN’s journalism will not change despite the National Football League taking a 10% ownership stake in the sports outlet in 2025, according to Variety.
Thompson told Variety she wants listeners to understand the care behind the reporting. “I’m not in the business of rumors. I’m in the business of presenting sourced information,” she said. She added that investigative work is difficult because it can affect lives and reputations.
The podcast also touches on a reality-TV connection. ESPN reporting says Ryan Boyajian, then the fiancé of “The Real Housewives of Orange County” cast member Jennifer Pedranti, was apparently wired Ohtani’s money. Boyajian received immunity in exchange for testimony, according to ESPN.
This story draws on original reporting from Variety.