UTA Signs Tournament of Roses, Rose Parade
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- UTA signed the Pasadena Tournament of Roses and the Rose Parade for representation, with the agency's partners Ryan Hayden, Jerry Silbowitz, and David Kirsch citing the parade's status as a "defining New Year's Day tradition"
- The Tournament of Roses CEO David Eads framed the deal as a partnership aimed at helping the parade "thrive for generations to come" as the media industry undergoes "rapid change"
- The 2026 Rose Parade drew 34 million total domestic viewers across linear and streaming platforms, including a first-of-its-kind 5.2 million TikTok livestream audience, and was broadcast in 70 countries plus the American Forces Network
- This year's parade aired on ABC, Fox, NBC, Univision, Great American Family, and KTLA Channel 5 in Los Angeles, with UTA inheriting an opportunity to "exploit" the client's brand and IP including TV rights going forward
- The Tournament of Roses also produces the annual Rose Bowl Game, though ESPN holds exclusive College Football Playoff TV rights through 2031-32, and the 2027 Rose Bowl is set to host a CFP quarterfinal
Why it matters: UTA is inheriting an entertainment asset that reaches 34 million U.S. viewers and airs across 70 countries, with its 5.2 million TikTok livestream marking a deliberate pivot toward younger platforms. The Rose Bowl's separate ESPN deal through 2031-32 means UTA's near-term monetization runway centers squarely on the parade's branding, sponsorship, and TV rights rather than the football game itself.
