EL SEGUNDO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--DIRECTV the nation
’s leading satellite television provider, kicks off Super Bowl week with the second annual DIRECTV Celebrity Beach Bowl Presented by Spike HD, a flag football game featuring NFL greats and Hollywood
’s hottest celebrities as they compete on the sandy gridiron
— all in the name of charity. Hosted by Matt Leinart, the star-studded event also features special musical performances by Josh Kelly and Fall Out Boy. Only DIRECTV customers can see the live HD broadcast on Thursday, January 31 at 5 p.m. ET/3 p.m. MT on DIRECTV
’s original entertainment channel, The 101. Those without DIRECTV can sign up in time to see all the action by logging on to directv.com or by calling 1-800-DIRECTV.
“Pit NFL greats, actors, and models in a flag-football game on the beach all in the name of charity — anything can happen,” said Jon Gieselman, senior vice president of advertising and PR for DIRECTV. “Our build up to the Super Bowl was such a success last year, that we decided to do it bigger and better by building our own stadium and airing it live in HD on The 101. Where else can you see Doug Flutie throw a Hail Mary to Pam Anderson while being blitzed by David Spade? It’s going to be another wild time for all.”
The Celebrity Beach Bowl, whose inaugural event was held in Miami Beach last year, will take place in the South Bridge section of Scottsdale, where DIRECTV is constructing a 2000-person stadium equipped with a VIP area, performance stage, and gigantic sand-filled football field for the day’s activities. The action will feature Team NFL SUNDAY TICKET and Team NASCAR HOTPASS — both named after DIRECTV’s exclusive sports packages — as they battle it out for game dominance, and the chance at winning the DIRECTV Celebrity Beach Bowl Trophy.
Team NFL SUNDAY TICKET, the returning champs, will be coached by Matt Leinart, while quarterback Doug Flutie will be calling plays for teammates Rocket Ismail, Daryl Johnston, Michael Clarke Duncan, Blake Lively and Stacey Keibler. Chad Johnson will be looking for his first win as coach of Team NASCAR HOTPASS with Hall-of-Fame quarterback Warren Moon tossing touchdowns to teammates David Spade, Pam Anderson, Kendra Wilkinson, Merril Hoge, Desmond Howard, January Jones, and Fall Out Boy’s Pete Wentz. Ismail and Moon can also be seen on Spike HD’s hit series Pros vs. Joes.
The game will be played out over two, 20-minute halves with all the action being called by a team of all-star sports analysts including Andrew Siciliano, Michael Irvin and Shannon Sharpe, who will serve as the official play-by-play announcers and sideline correspondents. Officiating the game will be ESPN Analyst Michael Smith and Pro Bowl Chicago Bears linebacker Lance Briggs who will be keeping play honest as the game’s referees. Josh Kelly will open the day’s events with a live performance leading up to the kickoff, and Fall Out Boy will perform following the game.
All the action from the DIRECTV Celebrity Beach Bowl will be captured and broadcast live, and in HD, on DIRECTV’s original entertainment channel, The 101. Throughout the show, game correspondents will get live commentary from coaches Leinart and Johnson, as well as real-time reactions from audience members and players alike. All proceeds will benefit The Matt Leinart Foundation. Fans who want to attend in person can secure free tickets to the event, fans can visit www.1iota.com and click on the DIRECTV Celebrity Beach Bowl link. Tickets are limited and first-come-first-serve.
About DIRECTV
DIRECTV, Inc., the nation’s leading satellite television service provider, presents the finest television experience available to 16.6 million customers in the United States and is leading the HD revolution with 92 national HD channels – more quality HD channels than any other television provider. Each day, DIRECTV subscribers enjoy access to over 265 channels of 100% digital picture and sound, exclusive programming, industry-leading customer satisfaction (which has surpassed cable for seven years running) and superior technologies that include advanced DVR and HD-DVR services and the most state-of-the-art interactive sports packages available anywhere. For the most up-to-date information on DIRECTV, please visit directv.com.
