THE WAIT IS OVER!

HALLMARK CHANNEL OPENS ITS STADIUM DOORS TO KICK OFF THE OFFICIAL FELINE FOOTBALL LEAGUE SEASON!

Host Beth Stern And Play-By-Play Announcer John Sterling Will Return to Preside Over The Championship Game, "Kitten Bowl II"

Only Hallmark Channel Gives You A Sideline Season Pass To The Most Adorable, Agile And Adoptable Kittens

Hallmark Channel proudly announces the network has opened its stadium doors to kick off the Feline Football League (FFL) season! Stands were filled and cats were tail-gating awaiting the kickoff for the biggest feline football sports competition in history. The FFL, which will include a Scouting Combine, draft, season games and playoffs, will lead up to the highly anticipated biggest feline showdown in history, "Kitten Bowl II," premiering Su-purr Bowl Sunday, February 1, 2015. TV Personality and North Shore Animal League America spokesperson Beth Stern will return to host the championship game, as well legendary, iconic radio voice of the New York Yankees John Sterling will be the game's official play-by-play announcer. Hallmark Channel once again partners with North Shore Animal League America and Last Hope Animal Rescue and Rehabilitation, who will provide over 90 adoptable CAT-letes participating in season games and "Kitten Bowl II." All kittens part of the FFL will be adopted out immediately following the games.

"We are so excited to kick off the first official Feline Football League season and build upon the hugely successful Kitten Bowl franchise, which not only provides entertainment but also promotes awareness and the critical message to adopt the beautiful, loving animals available at your local shelter and not shop," said Michelle Vicary, Executive Vice President of Programming, Crown Media Family Networks.

Viewers and cat enthusiasts will be able to follow season game highlights and scores on Hallmark Channel's digital and social platforms. The teams competing in FFL season games include the Good Witch Wildcats, Hallmark Channel Hearties, Countdown to Christmas Cheetahs, Cedar Cove Cougars, Northpole Panthers, HMM Mountain Lions, North Shore Bengals and Last Hope Lions. The teams will consist of the cutest, agile and, most importantly, adoptable kittens. The kittens will be joined by celebrities and personalities from all facets of the entertainment world as the kittens compete on obstacle courses filled with lures such as yarn balls, lasers and toys on string. The FFL and "Kitten Bowl II" are part of Hallmark Channel's corporate initiative "Pet Project," a movement dedicated to celebrating pets and the incredible joy they bring to our lives.

"Kitten Bowl II" is executive produced by Eyeworks USA's JD Roth, Todd A. Nelson, Adam Kaloustian and Brant Pinvidic, with Jesse Drollette serving as co-executive producer. Eyeworks USA credits include "Extreme Weight Loss" (ABC), "Bar Rescue" (Spike) 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 family entertainment available in high definition (HD) and standard definition (SD) to a national audience of 85 million subscribers. Hallmark Channel is the nation's leading destination for quality family programming featuring an ambitious slate of original content, including movies; scripted series, such as Cedar Cove, When Calls the Heart, and Signed, Sealed, Delivered; annual specials like Hero Dog Awards and Kitten Bowl; and a daily 2-hour lifestyle show, Home & Family. Hallmark Channel is also home to annual holiday franchise, Countdown to Christmas, featuring a lineup of 24/7 holiday programming, including The 12 New Movies of Christmas. Rounding out the networks' lineup are television's most beloved sitcoms and series, including The Golden Girls, The Middle, Little House on the Prairie, and Frasier. 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.

Hallmark Channel on Social Media: Facebook, Twitter (Join the conversation at #HeartofTV), Pinterest, tvtag, YouTube