HALLMARK CHANNEL'S HIGHLY ANTICIPATED AND CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED "KITTEN BOWL" RETURNS FOR ITS SECOND ANNUAL EVENT OF PAW-TO-PAW ACTION SU-PURR BOWL SUNDAY 2015

Millions Enthusiastically Tuned-In And Loved The First Annual "Kitten Bowl" And Now It Will Become A Beloved Annual Tradition

Hallmark Channel is pleased to announce the greatest feline showdown in cable television history, "Kitten Bowl," will return to delight millions once again Su-purr Bowl Sunday 2015. Beth Stern and John Sterling return as audiences across the nation will watch adorable and adoptable CATletes participate in the network's second annual "Kitten Bowl" games. The 2015 event will bring together even more celebrities and personalities across all genres of entertainment, including the real "stars" of the show - adoptable kittens. Hallmark Channel has once again partnered with North Shore Animal League America who will provide the feline competitors that will be guaranteed forever loving homes once the games conclude. Hallmark Channel's "Kitten Bowl" will significantly raise awareness of the plight of shelter animals across the country and the program is part of the network's "Pet Project," a multi-faceted initiative devoted to celebrating pets and the incredible joy and enrichment they bring to our lives.

"Kitten Bowl" drew 3.2 million unduplicated viewers during its Sunday February 2, 12-3pm premiere and reached a total of 6.1 million viewers (P2+) with its three encores. The premiere also outperformed the corresponding time period average from one year ago across key demographics including 41% among households; 39% among adults; and 14% among women 25-54. (Source: The Nielsen Company, January 27 - February 2, 2014)

"Kitten Bowl" was so successful that its hashtag #KittenBowl was a top Twitter trender throughout its inaugural broadcast and garnered 50,000+ unique tweets on Su-purr Bowl Sunday alone with a total social media reach of 127.5 million impressions. The program was named one of the three most social new shows of the week, #KittenBowl (and related terms) spiked 97% and was trending #1 on Twitter. (Source: TweetReach, YahooSeachData, @thewitspotter)

Through its immense social extensions, Hallmark Channel drove engagement by bringing "Kitten Bowl" to life launching the first-ever Feline Fantasy League. The unique application, which was housed on Hallmark Channel USA's Facebook Page, gave viewers and fans a unique in-depth look at the adorable CATletes participating in the beloved event. The Feline Fantasy League featured a live kitten cam, where viewers were able to view adorable kittens in "training," as well as collectable 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.

"Kitten Bowl" is executive produced by JD Roth, Todd Nelson, Adam Kaloustian and Brant Pinvidic of Eyeworks USA, whose credits include "Extreme Weight Loss" (ABC), "Bar Rescue" (Spike) 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 86 million subscribers. Hallmark Channel is the nation's leading destination for quality family programming with an ambitious slate of TV movies; original scripted series, including Cedar Cove and When Calls the Heart; specials such as Kitten Bowl; 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 Daytime Emmy-nominated lifestyle program, 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.

Crown Media Family Networks is the umbrella unit of Crown Media Holdings, Inc., which houses Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movie Channel. The company operates and distributes both channels in high definition (HD) and standard definition (SD) with Hallmark Channel available to 86 million subscribers in the U.S. and Hallmark Movie Channel in 53 million homes. Hallmark Channel is the nation's leading destination for quality family programming with an ambitious slate of original TV movies, specials such as Kitten Bowl, 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. Hallmark Channel is also home to original scripted series, including Cedar Cove and When Calls the Heart, and Daytime Emmy-nominated lifestyle program, Home & Family, a daily two-hour live show shot in a fully functional house located on the Universal Studios California lot. Hallmark Movie Channel is one of America's fastest-growing cable networks and provides family-friendly movies with a mix of original films, classic theatrical releases, and presentations from the acclaimed Hallmark Hall of Fame library. In addition, Crown Media Family Networks includes the online offerings of HallmarkChannel.com and HallmarkMovieChannel.com.

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