ESPN reporter Tisha Thompson, who first broke the story of Shohei Ohtani's former interpreter Ippei Mizuhara stealing money from the baseball star to cover illegal gambling debts, is returning to the subject with a new six-part podcast series, "The Betrayal of Shohei Ohtani." Produced under ESPN's "30 for 30" banner, it revisits one of the biggest scandals in recent sports history and comes as ESPN faces scrutiny over how much investigative journalism it can sustain, particularly given the NFL's 2025 acquisition of a 10% stake in the network.

The podcast launches on 28 July with two episodes, followed by further instalments released every Tuesday and Thursday until 11 August. It explores the breakdown of Ohtani and Mizuhara's friendship and features previously unheard audio from the only press interview Mizuhara has ever given, which Thompson describes as one of the most significant and strangest interviews of her career. The series also includes new material from bookmaker Matthew Bowyer, who ran the illegal betting operation used by Mizuhara, detailing how he recruited and retained wealthy clients, and examines the broader impact of sports betting's growth on sporting culture.