By ,
Published January 14, 2015
David Letterman unveiled a new billboard in Times Square in New York City last night.
But it wasn't for his show. It was for Sports Ilustrated.
The late night talk show host pulled the curtain on Sports Illustrated's 2009 Swimsuit Issue cover, revealing Leonardo DiCaprio's main squeeze, Bar Refaeli, as this year's lucky supermodel.
PHOTO EXCLUSIVE: Click for 3 exclusive photos of Bar's SI spread!
(For those keeping score, this is DiCaprio's second Sports Illustrated sueprmodel girlfriend, the first being Gisele Bundchen. Grrr.)
So why all the hoopla?
MORE PHOTOS: 10 years of Swimsuit Issue cover girls.
Over 10 percent of Sports Illustrated's annual income comes from its swimsuit issue. And this year, with magazines closing left and right due to contracting advertising dollars, the magazine is trying to wring its venerable swimsuit issue for everything its worth.
In addition to the annual issue itself, Sports Illustrated is launching a "24/7 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Experience" at the Luxor casino in Las Vegas, a Southwest Airlines flight from New York to Vegas emblazoned with Refaeli's likeness, and an online component complete with additional photos and behind the scenes videos of each of the swimsuit models.
What's next, Swimsuit Issue credit cards? Swimsuit Issue cereal? Swimsuit Issue on Broadway?
Oh yeah, they did that last night.
https://www.foxnews.com/story/david-letterman-reveals-bar-refaeli-is-new-sports-illustrated-swimsuit-cover-girl