HALLMARK CHANNEL'S 'KITTEN BOWL' ANNOUNCES HOST BETH STERN AND PLAY-BY-PLAY ANNOUNCER AND NEW YORK YANKEES ICON JOHN STERLING WILL PRESIDE OVER ANNUAL GRIDIRON CLASSIC FROM KITTEN STADIUM

Inaugural Event for Three-Hour Original Special, February 2, in Association with North Shore Animal League America, An Integral Part of Hallmark Channel's "Pet Project"

On Super Bowl Sunday, Hallmark Channel's first-ever gridiron great, "Kitten Bowl," is on pace to go "back-to-back and belly-to-belly" with the signing of host and emcee, Beth Stern, and official play-by-play announcer, John Sterling, the legendary, iconic radio voice of the New York Yankees. "Kitten Bowl," in association with North Shore Animal League America, the nation's largest no-kill shelter and animal adoption organization, will be presented Sunday, February 2, 2014 (12:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. ET/PT). All of the kittens participating in the competition are guaranteed forever homes through Hallmark Channel's partnership with North Shore Animal League America whose innovations in animal welfare have saved more than 1,000,000 pets - and counting! "Kitten Bowl" guarantees the 60-70 kitten participants will join the list of pets adopted into loving homes and will significantly raise the awareness of the plight of shelter animals across the country. "Kitten Bowl" is part of Hallmark Channel's evergreen corporate initiative, "Pet Project," a multi-faceted initiative devoted to celebrating pets and the incredible joy and enrichment they bring to our lives.

Beth Stern is a TV personality and activist whose work on behalf of North Shore Animal League America is renowned. Beth is the wife of radio personality and reality star Howard Stern and together the couple have fostered and adopted countless shelter pets. The official radio voice of the New York Yankees and Emmy(R) winning host of Yankeeography and Yankees Classics on the YES Network, John Sterling's play-by-play paraphrasing of the athletic prowess in "Kitten Bowl" promises to be as colorful and lively as his broadcasts for the Bronx Bombers have been for the past 25 years. "Swishalicious," "It is high. It is far. Is go-o-o-o-n-n-n-n-e-e-e-e" and "A thrilla by Godzilla!" are just a few catchphrases that have made Sterling, who has not missed broadcasting a Yankees game in 25 years, a one-of-a-kind icon in the world of professional sports. One can already expect that regardless which team of felines prevails in "Kitten Bowl," no doubt, "The kit-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-ens win!"

Joining Stern and Sterling in Kitten Stadium will be the brightest stars in film, television, music and sports, all of whom are clamoring to be part of Kitten Bowl. Those announcements to be made shortly.

"Kitten Bowl" is 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, tunnels, hoops, jumps, weave poles, lasers, lures and toys on strings, "Kitten Bowl" will feature clever locker room strategies, player profiles and "interviews," and camera work and audio recordings from the athletes as they play the game! Cats made famous by YouTube videos and Instagram followings will provide specific analysis and color commentary and will play to the cheering crowds inside Kitten Stadium and at home.

Behind the scenes at "Kitten Bowl" will provide hours and hours of furry fits and comic relief. Information about the 360 on-air, online and social media ecosystem will be released shortly.

"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.

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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