DIRECTV Holiday Bowl

What DIRECTV Holiday Bowl does

Sports San Diego, operating publicly as the Holiday Bowl, is a California-based non-profit 501(c)(3) organization founded in 1978 that produces the annual Trust & Will Holiday Bowl college football game and surrounding Bowl Week programming at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego. The organization's legal name is San Diego Bowl Game Association dba Sports San Diego, and it employs a staff of 22 to manage a single marquee event that has generated over $1 billion in cumulative regional economic impact and 900,000+ hotel room nights since inception, with a record in-stadium attendance of 65,416 and 100,000+ street-side parade spectators. Its product portfolio centers on the bowl game itself (ACC vs. Pac-12/Big-12 matchups broadcast nationally on FOX Sports), the Port of San Diego Holiday Bowl Parade (presented by Kaiser Permanente), a Game Day 5K Run/Walk, a GOVX-sponsored pregame show featuring The Big Flag ceremony, a Sycuan halftime show, and the Dr Pepper/Stater Bros Tuition Throw contest. Beyond the bowl, Sports San Diego also produces the Rady Children's Invitational, the California State Games, and serves as San Diego's regional sports commission.

Revenue is generated through five primary streams: ticket sales ($50-$330 per seat via Ticketmaster and direct channels), a title sponsorship currently held by Trust & Will (previously DIRECTV and SDCCU), corporate partnerships with 25+ brands including SeaWorld, Kaiser Permanente, GOVX, Sycuan, Dr Pepper, Toyota, Alaska Airlines, and Coca-Cola, merchandise sales through HolidayBowl.shop and on-site, and national broadcast rights through FOX Sports supplemented by iHeartMedia radio coverage. Go-to-market is event-driven: ticketing is direct-to-consumer, sponsorship sales are relationship-driven through the external affairs function, and fan acquisition relies on FOX national exposure, social media (Facebook, X, Instagram), email marketing, and the GOVX military discount channel reaching 9.5M+ verified service members. The technology stack is commodity — Ticketmaster, Snapdragon Stadium mobile app, CBS8+ streaming, and standard web/email platforms — with no proprietary platform or AI layer disclosed. The customer base comprises college football fans, families attending the free parade, military personnel, San Diego tourists, and university alumni of the two participating teams each year (e.g., Arizona Wildcats and SMU Mustangs for the January 2, 2026 game).

Name

DIRECTV Holiday Bowl

Legal name

San Diego Bowl Game Association dba Sports San Diego

Website

https://holidaybowl.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1978

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Holiday Bowl is a non-profit 501(c)(3) (San Diego Bowl Game Association dba Sports San Diego) producing the annual Trust & Will Holiday Bowl college football game, parade, and 5K at Snapdragon Stadium, broadcast nationally on FOX Sports, and serving college football fans, families, military personnel, and corporate sponsors in the San Diego region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

College Football Bowl Game / Live Sports Events

NAICS

Spectator Sports (71121)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

College/University Sports Events (NCAA & equivalents) (MPAGAMAE)

Keywords

• College football bowl game
• Sporting event production
• Bowl game sponsorship
• Live sports entertainment
• Postseason football events

Headquarters

HQ city

San Diego

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Others, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Direct ticket sales to fans attending the annual bowl game at Snapdragon Stadium. Ticket prices range from $50 to $330 for general seating.
2. Title Sponsorship: Corporate title sponsorship deals (currently Trust & Will, previously DIRECTV and SDCCU). Sponsors receive naming rights, branding across all bowl week events, and marketing benefits across Sports San Diego platforms.
3. Corporate Partnerships: Multiple corporate sponsors including SeaWorld, GOVX, Kaiser Permanente, Sycuan, Dr Pepper, Toyota, Alaska Airlines, Coca-Cola, and others. Partners receive promotional benefits, ticket allocations, and activation opportunities at events.
4. Merchandise Sales: Official Holiday Bowl merchandise sold through HolidayBowl.shop and on-site at Snapdragon Stadium.
5. Television Broadcast Rights: National broadcast on FOX Sports generates revenue and exposure. Additional coverage through iHeartMedia radio stations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Holiday Bowl produces an annual college football postseason bowl game at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego, featuring top teams from the ACC and Big 12/Pac-12 conferences with a national FOX Sports broadcast. The organization also produces the surrounding Bowl Week of events including the Port of San Diego Holiday Bowl Parade (America's Largest Balloon Parade), the Game Day 5K Walk/Run, the pregame show, halftime show, fireworks display, and ancillary programs for fans, military personnel, and high school athletes.

Product overview

The Holiday Bowl is a college football bowl game event organized by Sports San Diego (formerly San Diego Bowl Game Association). The core product is the annual Trust & Will Holiday Bowl game at Snapdragon Stadium, featuring matchups between top ACC and Pac-12 teams. The event encompasses multiple related products: the Port of San Diego Holiday Bowl Parade (America's Largest Balloon Parade), the Game Day 5K Walk/Run, the GOVX Pregame Show with The Big Flag ceremony, the Sycuan Halftime Show featuring marching bands, promotional contests like the Dr Pepper Tuition Throw, the Dr Pepper Most Inspirational Player Award for high school seniors, the Hometown Heroes military appreciation initiative, and the post-game 101.5 KGB Sky Show fireworks display.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Trust & Will Holiday Bowl Game Annual college football postseason bowl game featuring top teams from the ACC and Big 12/Pac-12 conferences, held at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego and broadcast nationally on FOX Sports. Tickets priced from $50 to $330.
• Port of San Diego Holiday Bowl Parade

Quantifiable outcome

• $1 billion+ economic benefit for San Diego region since 1978
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

22 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Trust & WillcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 December 2025Trust & Will is the title sponsor of the Holiday Bowl, which is now officially called the Trust & Will Holiday Bowl. The partnership was announced December 7, 2025 at Snapdragon Stadium. Trust & Will is a digital estate planning platform founded in 2017 and trusted by over one million individuals and families.
• SeaWorld San DiegocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSeaWorld San Diego is a dedicated partner providing one-day park admission tickets to the first 10,000 fans through stadium gates. The partnership spans over 35 years, with SeaWorld offering free tickets to bowl game attendees for multiple consecutive years.
• Kaiser PermanentecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerKaiser Permanente is the presenting sponsor of the Port of San Diego Holiday Bowl Parade, one of America's largest balloon parades with over 100,000 spectators.
• GOVXcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGOVX is the title sponsor of the Pregame Show and provides the Hometown Heroes initiative offering 250 complimentary tickets and meals for active-duty military. GOVX serves as the Official Discount Provider with exclusive ticket access for 9.5M+ verified service members.
• Sycuan Casino ResortmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerSycuan is the sponsor of the Halftime Show featuring world-class pageantry, marching bands, and crowd sing-along. The halftime show is produced by WorldStrides Heritage Performance Programs.
• Dr PeppermajorGTM or Marketing PartnerDr Pepper sponsors the Most Inspirational Player award recognizing high school football players and the Tuition Throw contest offering $100,000 in tuition prizes during the game.
• Stater BrosmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerStater Bros co-sponsors the Dr Pepper/Stater Bros Tuition Throw contest offering tuition money to lucky fans.
• Port of San DiegocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPort of San Diego sponsors the Holiday Bowl Parade and serves as a key partner in bringing waterfront events to San Diego Bay.
• FOX SportscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerFOX Sports broadcasts the Holiday Bowl nationally, providing television coverage and marketing promotion for the event.
• iHeartMedia (101.5 KGB)majorGTM or Marketing Partner101.5 KGB Sky Show is a legendary fireworks display synchronized to classic rock music, broadcast over radio. This partnership has continued for multiple years following each Holiday Bowl game.
• Snapdragon StadiumcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner35,000-seat multipurpose venue owned by San Diego State University and managed by OVG360. Home venue for the Holiday Bowl since December 2024.
• Sports San DiegocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNon-profit 501c3 organization that produces the Holiday Bowl, Rady Children's Invitational, California State Games, and serves as San Diego's sports commission. Generated over $1 billion in economic benefit for San Diego since 1978.
• ToyotaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor of the Holiday Bowl with logo displayed among event partners.
• Alaska AirlinesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor providing travel and transportation connections for the Holiday Bowl event.
• Coca-ColaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor of Bowl Season with logo displayed among event partners.
• TCS (Tata Consultancy Services)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor of the Holiday Bowl with bus services for team transportation.
• National UniversityminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor and education partner of the Holiday Bowl.
• San Diego Zoo Wildlife AllianceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerConservation partner featured among Holiday Bowl event partners.
• MTS (Metropolitan Transit System)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerPublic transportation partner providing trolley service to Snapdragon Stadium with fares as low as $2.50 per ride.
• Rady Children's HealthminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHealthcare partner sponsor of the Holiday Bowl.
• AllstateminorGTM or Marketing PartnerInsurance partner sponsor of the Holiday Bowl Parade.
• DIRECTVcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrevious title sponsor (2023-2024) of the Holiday Bowl, now transitioning to Trust & Will sponsorship. DIRECTV remains an established sports and entertainment brand with 30 years of industry leadership.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Orange Bowl Committee: Non-profit producer of the Orange Bowl game and supporting events, with a comparable sponsor portfolio, broadcast relationships, and community-event driven tourism model.
• Peach Bowl Inc. Non-profit that produces the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl and college football playoff games, with a similar game-plus-festival week and extensive corporate sponsor network.
• Sun Bowl Association: Non-profit organization operating the Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas. Directly comparable as a college football bowl event producer with a similar sponsor, broadcast, and tourism economic model.
• Sugar Bowl Committee: Non-profit organization that produces the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans, another college football bowl game with similar sponsorship, broadcast, and tourism-model economics.
• Fiesta Bowl Organization: Non-profit that operates the Fiesta Bowl and related events (parade, charity events) in the Phoenix area. Comparable mix of college football game, ancillary community events, and corporate sponsorship revenue.
• Valero Alamo Bowl: Non-profit organization in San Antonio running the Alamo Bowl, a college football bowl game with similar title sponsorship, broadcast, and event-week structure.
• Cotton Bowl Athletic Association: Operates the Cotton Bowl Classic, a college football bowl game run by a non-profit athletic association. Comparable structure to the Holiday Bowl in event production, sponsorship, and broadcast distribution.
• Florida Citrus Sports (Cheez-It Citrus Bowl): Non-profit organization that operates the Citrus Bowl and supporting events in Orlando. Comparable mid-tier bowl game with sponsor-driven tourist-event model.
• Pasadena Tournament of Roses (Rose Bowl): Operates the Rose Bowl and Rose Parade, a non-profit college football bowl event with multi-event Bowl Week structure. Highly comparable to the Holiday Bowl's game-plus-parade festival model and broadcast-driven sports tourism business.

Broad incumbents

• ESPN Events: Operator of multiple college football bowl games (Bahamas Bowl, Boca Raton Bowl, Camellia Bowl, etc.). Comparable as a bowl game producer with similar broadcast and sponsorship economics, but operates as a portfolio rather than a single event.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/holidaybowl
• Facebookfacebook.com/holidaybowl
• Instagraminstagram.com/holidaybowl
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/holidaybowl

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about DIRECTV Holiday Bowl