Kitten Bowl canceled at Hallmark Channel, GAC Media eyes pick-up

For the last eight years, those who weren’t watching football on Super Bowl Sunday had the heartwarming option of instead seeing kittens roll around on turf for three hours. That tradition, Hallmark’s annual Kitten Bowl, will not continue this year, and GAC Media is looking into acquiring the program, Variety has learned exclusively.

“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,” a rep for the network shared via Facebook on Saturday, Feb. 5, when a fan inquired about the event previously coined as “the nation’s most beloved rescue pet adoption event of the year.”

Shortly after the remark, former president and CEO of Hallmark parent company Crown Media Bill Abbott shared his disappointment on Twitter. “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,” he wrote on Sunday, Feb. 6. “Please continue to support Animal League in their mission to find all these animals loving homes. #GetYourRescueOn and #adopt a furry friend!”

Abbott exited Crown Media in 2020 after 11 years and went on to acquire GAC, formerly Great American Country. The company was split into two brands, GAC Family and GAC Living, and launched in September 2021.

Read more: https://variety.com/2022/tv/news/kitten-bowl-canceled-hallmark-1235173630/