CBS to Air SUPER BOWL'S GREATEST COMMERCIALS 2014, 1/29

By: Jan. 10, 2014
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SUPER BOWL'S GREATEST COMMERCIALS 2014 is an interactive countdown special where viewers will be able to vote LIVE on CBS.com for their favorite Super Bowl Commercials. The special, hosted by Boomer Esiason, Analyst for CBS Sports' NFL pre-game show THE NFL TODAY, and Sarah Shahi, star of the CBS drama PERSON OF INTEREST, will be broadcast Wednesday, Jan. 29 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.

Sponsors present their best commercials during the Super Bowl, and the big game wouldn't be quite the same without them. For the advertising community, the Super Bowl is their Super Bowl, and often creates commercials specifically for the enormous viewership that the game provides. For many, watching the commercials is the most entertaining part of the Super Bowl. Advertisers try to get their money's worth by rolling out their most creative and innovative spots. This one-hour special, now in its 14th year, will originate from MetLife Stadium, home of "Super Bowl XLVIII" and celebrates the pop culture phenomena that has become almost as big as the game itself.

Beginning today, viewers will get to vote for their favorite Super Bowl commercials from 10 categories (Office, User-Generated, Sexy, Beer, Crazy, Kids, Celebrity, Car, Animal and Soft Drink) and they will go head-to-head on www.cbs.com/superbowl/commercials/, where fans will be able to vote to determine the top three Super Bowl commercials. Those top three will advance to the live vote during the broadcast, when viewers will decide the outcome and the winner will be revealed at the end of the show.

Kevin Frazier, co-anchor of THE INSIDER, will report from various locations in Manhattan to see just how New York is preparing for Super Bowl Sunday. In addition, James Brown, Bill Cowher and Dan Marino from CBS' NFL TODAY will weigh in with their Super Bowl commercial analysis. Also, viewers will be able to catch a sneak peek of this year's most highly-anticipated commercials before the big game, as well as get a behind-the-scenes look at how their favorite spots are made.

Boomer Esiason, who quarterbacked the Cincinnati Bengals, New York Jets and Arizona Cardinals during a 14-year NFL career, joined CBS Sports in February 2002 as a studio analyst for THE NFL TODAY, the CBS Television Network's NFL pre-game show. He joins host James Brown, Dan Marino, Shannon Sharpe and Bill Cowher in the studio.

Upon retiring after the 1997 season, Esiason headed straight for the broadcast booth. He made his debut as a commentator for ABC's NFL "Monday Night Football," and called "MNF" games for two years. For the past 12 years he has called games for Dial Global Sports' (Westwood One/CBS Radio Sports) "Monday Night Football" broadcasts, teaming with Marv Albert for eight of those years. Once again this year he will team with Kevin Harlan on the MNF radio broadcasts. Esiason debuted as host of WFAN's national weekday morning radio show BOOMER AND CARTON IN THE MORNING on Sept. 4, 2007. The radio show began simulcasting and debuted on Jan. 6, 2014 on the CBS Sports Network. Esiason hosted "The Boomer Esiason Show" on Madison Square Garden Network for eight years. During the 2001 season, he served as an analyst on Fox Sports Net's "NFL This Morning."

After an All-America career at the University of Maryland, Esiason was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the second round of the 1984 NFL Draft and became one of the most successful quarterbacks in NFL history. In 1986, he earned his first of four Pro Bowl bids while leading the NFL's most productive offense. In 1988, he led the NFL with a 97.4 passer rating and helped the Bengals win the AFC Championship before their loss to San Francisco in Super Bowl XXIII. That year, Esiason was named the NFL's Most Valuable Player by the Pro Football Writers of America and the Associated Press. He again was the NFL passing leader in 1989 as Cincinnati claimed another division title. In 1993, after being traded to the Jets, Esiason became a Pro Bowler for the second time. In only three seasons with the Jets, he became the team's fourth-leading all-time passer. After playing a season for the Arizona Cardinals, he returned to Cincinnati, where he ended his career with 2,969 completions in 5,205 pass attempts (57 percent completion percentage) for 247 touchdowns and 37,920 yards.

Throughout his career, Esiason, along with his wife, Cheryl, has been a committed and very active participant in many charitable causes, including the Boomer Esiason Foundation, established in 1993 to fight cystic fibrosis after his son, Gunnar, was diagnosed with the disease. To date, the foundation has raised more than $100 million.

Prior to her role on PERSON OF INTEREST, Sarah Shahi starred in the series "Fairly Legal." Her additional television credits include "Chicago Fire," "Life," "Sleeper Cell," "The L Word," "Alias," "Teachers," "Sopranos" and "Dawson's Creek."

Shahi has also appeared in a number of feature films, and was most recently seen in the action movie "Bullet to the Head," opposite Sylvester Stallone, "Static" and the independent film "The Trouble with Bliss." Her other theatrical credits include "Old School," "For Your Consideration," "Shades of Ray," "Crossing Over, " "Dr. T and the Women" and "I Don't Know How She Does It."

Shahi hails from Euless, Texas, located near Fort Worth, and she was a member of the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders. During her NFL cheerleading career, she graced the cover of the 2000 Dallas Cowboy Cheerleading Calendar and embarked on a global USO tour to entertain troops in Bosnia, Macedonia, Kosovo and Italy. She can be followed on Twitter @onlysarahshahi.

SUPER BOWL'S GREATEST COMMERCIALS 2014 is being produced by IMG Media, JUMA Entertainment and Robert Dalrymple Productions. Robert Horowitz and Steve Mayer are the executive producers, and Robert Dalrymple and Tony Lanni are the producers. Mark Ritchie will direct.


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