There’s not just one big game this weekend, but two. Ahead of the Super Bowl, viewers will be able to watch furry friends play their own version of the game.
The Puppy Bowl from Discovery has been a staple of Super Bowl Sunday for over 20 years, but this year, more than just puppies will be involved.
During Sunday’s competition, Team Ruff and Team Fluff will compete to win the Lombarky trophy. There will also be a special halftime showdown highlighting senior dogs.
This year’s Puppy Bowl will feature a record 150 dogs from 72 shelters in the U.S., Puerto Rico and the British Virgin Islands. The event will air on Sunday.
When is the Puppy Bowl?
The 22nd edition of the Puppy Bowl will air at noon MST on Sunday, just a few hours before the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks face off in the Super Bowl. It will be simulcast on Animal Planet, TBS, Discovery and truTV. The show will repeat on those channels throughout the day and will stream on HBO Max and Discovery+.
Giving older dogs some attention too
Traditionally, the Puppy Bowl has focused simply on puppies — hence the name. But this year, older dogs will get some attention too.
During the puppies’ competition, there will be a halftime showcasing senior dogs during a showdown between Team Oldies and Team Goldies. These senior dogs are also up for adoption and in need of some love.
“Everyone wants the puppy and, unfortunately, the reality of puppyhood is it’s tough,” said Victoria Schade, the show’s lead dog trainer and wrangler, according to ESPN. “I think people don’t realize that until they’re deep in the thick of it. That’s the beauty of an older dog, an adult dog, a senior dog: They bring a different sort of calm.”
According to ESPN, older dogs have some advantages over puppies. Senior dogs are usually house-trained, have often already been taught how to sit or stay, and can be left by themselves.
Schade also shared that the Puppy Bowl’s senior dogs will bring a special spirit and energy to the show.
“They bring a different energy to the field,” she said, according to ESPN. “With the puppies, we have that unbridled puppyhood enthusiasm, whereas the senior dogs they’ve got a playbook. They’ve been through a lot and they’re going to strategize a little harder than those puppies are.”
What is the Puppy Bowl?
The first Puppy Bowl premiered as counterprogramming to the Super Bowl in 2005. The event highlights shelter animals who are up for adoption.
“The message of Puppy Bowl is about helping animals who would otherwise not have a great chance in life, especially even more acute in some cases with older dogs because they are often overlooked,” says Joseph Boyle, head of content for Discovery Channel, per The Associated Press.
The puppies are split into two teams for the competition — Team Ruff and Team Fluff. The dogs play on a gridiron carpet and score touchdowns by crossing any goal line with a toy in their mouth.
Each dog is given a nickname, such as “Slick Rick” or “J-Paw.”
The Puppy Bowl is also one of Discovery’s biggest programs of the year, per the AP. The first Puppy Bowl drew almost 6 million viewers, and in 2025, 12.8 million viewers watched the event.
Animal shelters and rescue organizations across the U.S. submit information about each puppy to have them considered for the Puppy Bowl’s roster. The program helps provide exposure to shelters and rescue groups that don’t have the resources to advertise on their own.
Spanning over three hours, the program offers plenty of canine cuteness while shining a light on pet adoption with a number of different segments in between the action. There are dogs, puppies, cats and kittens waiting to be adopted in shelters around the U.S.
After the hours of fun, many of the puppies fall fast asleep at the end of the Puppy Bowl.
During a promotion for the Super Bowl on CNN, a small accident occurred with the two very excited puppies who were visiting. Here’s a look at the video from CNN.