Hallmark Channel cancels Kitten Bowl

A television tradition featuring adorable adoptable kittens on Super Bowl Sunday has been canceled.

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The Kitten Bowl aired for eight years on Super Bowl Sunday, and the network made no formal announcement about its cancellation. In response to a comment on an unrelated Facebook post, the Hallmark Channel USA page responded to a viewer’s question of “What happened to the kitten bowl this year???” with the response “While we are not currently developing original animal-centric programming, Hallmark Channel is pleased to support partners like North Shore Animal League America as part of our commitment to social responsibility initiatives.”

The Kitten Bowl, previously billed as “the nation’s most beloved rescue pet adoption of the year,” may be acquired by a different company, as Variety reported GAC Media is looking into buying the program.

Bill Abbott, the former head of Hallmark who is now the president and CEO of GAC Media, shared his thoughts about the Kitten Bowl on Twitter, saying, “Kitten Bowl was a passion project that everyone involved will always be deeply proud to have been a part of. Grateful we were able to find fur-ever homes for so many.”

In a statement to Variety, the senior vice president of operations at North Shore Animal League America, which produced the program with Hallmark, said: “Hallmark Channel made the decision not to move forward with Kitten Bowl this year and, while we miss working on this lifesaving program with them, we are grateful for their recent donation of $25,000 for the #BettyWhiteChallenge and hopeful that Kitten Bowl will return in the future.”

The first Kitten Bowl aired in 2014.

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