Shohei Ohtani and his former interpreter Ippei Mizuhara's betting scandal caught the baseball world off guard in 2024. More than a year after Dave Roberts' Japanese superstar fired Mizuhara for stealing money to cover gambling debts, a show covering the Los Angeles Dodgers star's story has been sold by Lionsgate TV by Kevin Beggs.

Beggs spoke about the show with The Ankler's Lesley Goldberg, saying that Ohtani's popularity gives the show a much larger draw.

“It has sold,” Beggs said. “Can’t say to whom because we’re still negotiating the deal. But the momentum around it just grew and the auspices are fantastic. It’s bananas how big he is.”

The 30-year-old is one of the most popular athletes in the entire world, with millions of people tuning in. However, not all of the coverage surrounding Ohtani has been positive.

Beggs' main goal with the series is to depict the course of events as accurately as possible. However, he and the rest of the people involved with the project can't wait to get it off the ground.

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“When we can announce, we will, and we can’t wait to get started on writing it and really diving in — we had a ton of research done; all of it is wild,” Beggs continued. “Most people don’t even know the full story. And there’s probably different opinions about the truth, which is never a bad thing for this kind of show. But we are super excited about it, glad that we landed a partner.”

Even a year after the scandal happened and Ohtani fired Mizuhara, fans still talk about it. Sports betting is more popular than ever, especially during Ohtani's career, but players can't participate.

For now, Ohtani's title defense after his 2024 World Series Championship is off to a good start.. The Dodgers' designated hitter is in the conversation for the league's best player, even though he hasn't pitched for the team this season.

Beggs' show is still in the early part of its development, but fans are willing to wait. A closer look at one of Major League Baseball's biggest scandals in recent memory surrounding one of its biggest stars will have their attention.