In preparation for the highly anticipated "Kitten Bowl" games presented today, February 2 (12pm ET/PT, 11C), Hallmark Channel is proud to bring to life "Kitten Bowl" on social media by launching the first-ever Feline Fantasy League on January 10th. The unique application, which will be housed on Hallmark Channel USA's Facebook Page, will give viewers and fans a unique in-depth look at the adorable CATletes participating in the long-awaited event. The Feline Fantasy League will feature a live kitten cam, 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. Additionally, viewers will have the opportunity to interact with North Shore Animal League's shelter partners at adoptapet.com.
Kitten Enthusiast? View The Next Kittens In-Training Live 24/7 at: www.HallmarkChannel.com/KittenCam
The live kitten cam, created in partnership with Livestream, will feature adorable and adoptable kittens in "training" for "Kitten Bowl!" The trading cards of the CATletes will allow fans to read fun stats about each kitten player that will help each user build their own unique team. Once a user creates their own team of kittens, the Feline Fantasy League will allow consumers to also create a custom kitten trading card using a personal photo of their cat. Additionally, users can also add their own stats to their kitten trading card they have created. The Feline Fantasy League will also significantly raise awareness of the plight of shelter animals across the country through adoption stories and links that gives users the opportunity to adopt their own pet through North Shore Animal League and Last Hope Animal Rescue and Rehabilitation.
"Kitten Bowl" is the greatest feline showdown in cable television 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® 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.
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 CATletes as they play the game! "Kitten Bowl" 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.
"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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