On Monday, reports emerged on X (formerly Twitter) that the LA Dodgers, Lakers and ten other Los Angeles-based professional sports teams would be coming together to donate more than $8 million in total, in support of those suffering from the devastating LA wildfires.
Law Murray of the Athletic also uploaded a joint statement from the teams.
"The 12 pro sports teams in Los Angeles are coming together to donate more than $8 million to support victims of fires," the post was captioned.
Though the money will be useful in helping the community in these desperate times, many fans were quick to point out how the number that each team was donating was pretty low in comparison to the sky-high revenue they bring in each season. One fan criticized this "generosity" with the Dodgers and Lakers boasting the likes of Shohei Ohtani and LeBron James on their respective rosters. The fan wrote:
"Are we supposed to be impressed at this "generosity"? That works out to around $667,000 per team (a rounding error for Shohei Ohtani or LeBron James)"
"Dodgers should've donated everything they deferred... would be a hell of a lot more than 666k... ironic what the number is considering whats going on in LA right now," another fan wrote.
"It's good they're donating but I don't think they should make a press release for donating less than 0.01% of the monthly revenue they generate. I wouldn't make a press release for putting a penny in a tip jar," a fan commented.
"Last year, the combined revenue of the 12 professional sports teams in California amounted to approximately $3,826 million," another fan posted.
"Each of these teams makes more than that from 1 game. Anything less than $25 million in this effort is laughable tbh," another fan shared.
"This is like me donating 8 cents" another fan wrote.
The Los Angeles Dodgers received $35 million for winning the 2024 World Series
To put the aforementioned figures into context, the Los Angeles Dodgers, who enjoyed a fantastic 2024 season that culminated in winning baseball's biggest prize, the World Series, received a total of $35 million in prize money for their feat.
The figures are usually dependent on various factors such as the proceeds of TV broadcasting and other revenue that the team generates. The prize money is eventually split up between the players, coaches, and all other staff that contribute towards a team's successful season, per AS.