Kitten Bowl 2016 live stream: Time, TV schedule, lineups and how to watch online

The Carolina Panthers aren’t the only cats playing football on Super Bowl Sunday.

Feb 7, 2016, 3:00 PM UTC

Are you ready for some football? Sure, you could wait endlessly through hours and hours of pregame programming before the Carolina Panthers and Denver Broncos kick off Super Bowl 50 at 6:30 p.m. ET.

Or, even better, you can tune into Kitten Bowl III -- the Su-prrr Bowl -- at noon Eastern on the Hallmark Channel (plus replays at 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. ET) for the most adorable kitten competition on this year’s sporting calendar. You know that you want to spend your lunchtime watching dozens of furry four-legged animals romping around a mini football field, featuring scratchy goalposts and plenty of cat toys to keep the kittens entertained.

It is a true celebration of all things cuddly and athletic, hosted by Beth Stern with John Sterling and Mary Carillo as the play-by-play announcers. Former Bengals quarterback Boomer Esiason also returns as the Kitten Bowl's Feline Football League Commissioner to make sure every athlete plays by the rules.

There are 44 kittens participating in the feline championship, split among four teams: Boomer’s Bobcats, Last Hope Lions, The Home & Family Felines and The North Shore Bengals. Among the notable cat-letes are Coach Bill Beli-Cat, Jason Pierre-Paw, Rob Gron-Cat-Ski, Ben Roethlis-Purr-Ger, Stray J. Watt and Jerry Mice.

While the highlight of the show is watching these adorable and feisty baby cats purr, paw and pounce their way through four quarters of non-stop action, the main purpose is promote awareness for pet adoption.

“Not only are these cats some of the best players in the Feline Football League, but also they are looking for their forever homes,” Esiason said. “These champions will make loving and playful additions to any family looking to adopt an animal in need.”

All of the tiny footballers were supplied by North Shore Animal League America and Last Hope Animal Rescue and Rehabilitation, and since the taping of the show in October, have found loving forever homes.

The inspiration for the Kitten Bowl originated from the immensely popular Puppy Bowl, which also supports pet adoption and airs at 3 p.m. ET on Animal Planet. The pooch version began in 2005 and has become an integral part of the Super Bowl Sunday extravaganza leading up to game time. This year, the group has teamed up with 44 animal shelters and rescue organizations to fill the rosters for #TeamFluff and #TeamRuff.

Whether you are a cat lover, dog lover or just want a break from the non-stop analysis of Super Bowl 50, there is something for you watch to fill your Sunday afternoon.