HOST BETH STERN AND YANKEE ANNOUNCER JOHN STERLING OPEN THE DOORS OF KITTEN STADIUM TO TODAY'S BRIGHTEST STARS AS PART OF AN ALL-STAR CELEBRITY LINEUP FOR THE FIRST ANNUAL "KITTEN BOWL" A HALLMARK CHANNEL ORIGINAL SPECIAL PREMIERING SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 2

The Three-Hour Special Shines with Stars in Film and Television, Along With "Kitten Around" Social Media Extension And Official Feline Fantasy League

Hallmark Channel is proud to announce the star-studded lineup for "Kitten Bowl," Hallmark Channel's first-ever feline football fixture, presented on Sunday, February 2 (12pm - 3pm ET/PT, 11C), encores two times immediately following premiere. "Kitten Bowl," in association with North Shore Animal League America, the nation's largest no-kill shelter and animal adoption organization, will have the most adorable kitten athletes going back-to-back and belly-to-belly at Kitten Stadium in the biggest feline showdown in history! Beth Stern, TV personality and national spokesperson for North Shore Animal League America, will host the gridiron great and John Sterling, official radio voice of the New York Yankees and Emmy(R) winning host of "Yankeeography" and "Yankees Classics" on the YES Network, will serve as "Kitten Bowl's" official play-by-play announcer. Stern and Sterling will be joined by today's biggest names including Regis Philbin, Hoda Kotb, Rachael Ray, Lisa Vanderpump, Renée Herlocker, Rocco DiSpirito, Nicky Hilton, Kelly Rutherford, Chuck Nice, Julian Starks, Bob Harper, Maksim Chmerkovskiy, Carrie Ann Inaba, Aiden Turner, Ariel Meredith, Kristen Aldridge and Cory Kalanick. All will show their fondness for felines with their appearances during television's premiere paw-to-paw tomcat tourney!

Hallmark Channel, North Shore Animal League America and Last Hope Animal Rescue and Rehabilitation are also pleased to announce that all 71 kittens participating in "Kitten Bowl" have been adopted to loving homes. In addition, "Kitten Bowl" and its social extensions will significantly raise awareness of the plight of shelter animals across the country and is part of Hallmark Channel's "Pet Project," a multi-faceted initiative devoted to celebrating pets and the incredible joy and enrichment they bring to our lives.

Additionally, Hallmark Channel will take "Kitten Bowl" to a whole new level on social media with a robust social extension that actively engages cat-lovers and fans in the following three phases:

Phase 1: Hallmark Channel's "Kitten Around" campaign invites viewers and social users to upload their favorite stories, pictures and videos about why their cat is the funniest, most daring or remarkable cat on the planet using the hashtags #KittenAround and #KittenBowl. Hallmark Channel will share many participants' stories, pictures and videos bringing joy, laughter and smiles to millions across the nation as we celebrate their feline pals in "Kitten Around."

Phase 2: Hallmark Channel will be penalized for excessive cuteness because of footage from "Kitten Bowl" to the official Kitten Bowl TV YouTube page, which will feature behind the scenes clips of the kittens who will compete in the game. This enables viewers to have a sneak peek of "Kitten Bowl," giving them a competitive advantage in predicting the winner and aiding their selections in the Feline Fantasy League, which will launch in phase three.

Phase 3: Beginning January 10th, the third phase will entail the launch of the official Feline Fantasy League (FFL) comprised of digital interactive trading cards, kitten player profiles and individual adoption stories to further broaden the awareness of the plight of shelter animals across the country. Additionally, consumers can interact with North Shore Animal League America's shelter partners at adoptapet.com.

The three phases culminate in the "Kitten Bowl," the greatest feline showdown in cable television history. The competition will consist of two preliminary playoffs and a championship match. Along with basic obstacle courses of hurdles, jumps, weave poles, lures and toys on string, "Kitten Bowl" will feature clever locker room strategies, player profiles and "interviews" and audio recordings from the kitten athletes as they play the game!

"Kitten Bowl" is executive produced by JD Roth, Todd Nelson, Adam Kaloustian and Brant Pinvidic of Eyeworks USA (previously 3 Ball Productions) whose credits include Biggest Loser (NBC), Extreme Weight Loss (ABC) and My Cat From Hell (Animal Planet), among others. Co-executive producer is Jesse Drollette.

Hallmark Channel, owned and operated by Crown Media Holdings, Inc., is a 24-hour basic cable network that provides a diverse slate of high-quality entertainment programming available in high definition (HD) and standard definition (SD) to a national audience of 88 million subscribers. Hallmark Channel is the nation's leading destination for quality family programming with an ambitious slate of original TV movies and specials, as well as some of television's most beloved sitcoms and series, including The Golden Girls, The Waltons, Little House on the Prairie, and Frasier. The channel is also home to a range of lifestyle programming, anchored by Home & Family, a daily two-hour live show shot in a fully functional house located on the Universal Studios lot. Hallmark Channel's sibling network, Hallmark Movie Channel, available in HD and SD, focuses on family-friendly movies with a mix of original films, classic theatrical releases, and presentations from the acclaimed Hallmark Hall of Fame library.

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