Hundreds of thousands of spectators took to the Pasadena streets on January 1 for the Tournament of Roses’ 135th Rose Parade 2024. As Southern California’s traditional kick off of the new year, the beloved event is said to have drawn its largest audience since the pandemic, with as many as 700,000 onlookers watching the bands, equestrians and of course, floats make their way down Colorado Boulevard.
Speaking of floats, this year’s event had a new addition from DIRECTV. The DIRECTV float, coined “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” was created to celebrate the company’s 30th anniversary as well as to honor some hometown heroes, the El Segundo Little League and 2023 Little League World Series Champions. Celebrating America’s favorite pastime, the float and the 15 players and coaches received a standing ovation as it was introduced to the massive crowd.
The Float
As a leader in sports, DIRECTV stepped up to the plate to sponsor the Little League World Series champions from El Segundo, which was presented as a surprise to the team at DIRECTV headquarters in El Segundo in November.
Keeping with The Rose Bowl Parade tradition of floats being completely covered with flowers or other natural materials, DIRECTV’s design, created by AES and in collaboration with Chiat Day LA, was crafted with ferns, lilies, dendrobium, orchids, snapdragons, and of course, roses.
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From idea to fruition, the DIRECTV float truly captured the spirit of leadership in sports.
Explore the event’s history and traditions in this fun Rose Bowl infographic
A Family Affair
To truly give life to the float, over 300 volunteers made up of DIRECTV employees, El Segundo City Officials, El Segundo Little Leaguers and their families came together to add the final touches to the floral spectacle. Over four days, these volunteers worked together, bonded and left their mark on the DIRECTV float.
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An Encore Performance
After the Tournament of Roses Parade, the DIRECTV float went on display at Floatfest: A Rose Parade Showcase. Allowing spectators to see the intricate details up close, the floats are parked alongside the parade route on Jan. 1 and 2 for all to appreciate. Accompanying the float at Floatfest was the DIRECTV Sportsmobile, allowing sports fans to kick back, watch college and pro games and interact with DIRECTV employees and fellow fans
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DIRECTV continues to solidify its leadership in sports with hand-selected sponsorships that support local, national and charitable endeavors. Learn more about DIRECTV sponsorships.
