Plot Synopsis

Each year on Super Bowl Sunday, a different group of shelter pups mix it up and frolic in a small stadium -- called Animal Planet stadium for the first eight years, renamed GEICO Stadium in 2013 -- only to be interrupted by the Kitten Half-Time Show.

In 2014 Animal Planet celebrated the event's 10th anniversary with PUPPY BOWL X, which included interactive fan voting for MVP (Most Valuable Puppy) and an online Fantasy Puppy League available on AnimalPlanet.com. Plus, PUPPY BOWL X followed up with some of the most famous faces in the history of puppy sports, and its halftime Kitty Half-Time Show featured the musical stylings of Internet sensation Keyboard Cat. PUPPY BOWL X aired on Sunday, February 2, 2014 on Animal Planet from 3pm ET/PT through 5am ET/PT the next morning.

On Super Bowl Sunday 2015 (February 1), Animal Planet premiered PUPPY BOWL XI from 3-5pm ET/PT, followed by encore presentations through 5am the next morning. In this year's game, Team Ruff and Team Fluff play for keeps with live competitive scoring for the very first time in PUPPY BOWL history. With giggling goat cheerleaders -- and fan favorites including the iconic water bowl cam, slow motion Too Cute cam, and kiss cam -- this year's game adds an air show from hamsters piloting the new biplane and a special half-time performance by Katty Furry. And for the second year in a row, viewers can share photos of themselves and their pets via Instagram using #PuppyBowl all day long for a chance to see themselves and their BFFs on TV in real time.

Animal Planet premiered PUPPY BOWL XII on Sunday, February 7, 2016 from 3-5pm ET/PT. PUPPY BOWL returns to Animal Planet's GEICO Stadium for the 12th annual championship battle for cuteness. For the second straight year, Team Ruff meets Team Fluff for bragging rights. Plus, the event pumps up the cute factor with silky chicken cheerleaders and a very special halftime performance that is sure to become a classic. This year, die-hard superfans get closer to the action than ever before with the introduction of PUPPY BOWL VIRTUAL REALITY.

On Super Bowl Sunday (February 5, 2017) Animal Planet premiered PUPPY BOWL XIII from 3-5pm ET/Noon-2pm PT, airing live simultaneously on both coasts for the first time. The one-hour pregame begins at 2pm ET/11am PT, featuring aww-nalysis and cuddly commentary from sports correspondents including the infamous Rodt Weiler. PUPPY BOWL XIII repeats all day and night for a total of 10 hours on game day.

On Sunday, February 4, 2018, Animal Planet premiered PUPPY BOWL XIV from 3-5pm ET/Noon-2pm PT, airing live simultaneously on both coasts for the first time. This year the adoptable puppy players from #TeamRuff and #TeamFluff go paw to paw and nose to nose to win the CHEWY.COM "Lombarky" PUPPY BOWL XIV trophy. More Puppies (90) from more rescues (48) than ever before are drafted to tepresent #TeamRuff and #TeamFluff. And after the pup-tastic game of ear pulls and tail tugs is over, all the PUPPY BOWL puppy players end up as winners when they find their forever homes. The one-hour pregame begins at 2pm ET/11am PT, featuring aww-nalysis and cuddly commentary from sports anchor James Hound with Rodt Weiler and Sheena Inu serving as pregame show analysts. The competitive canines will conduct their pre-game rituals from the PUPPY BOWL locker room, which includes an all-new locker room webcam. Additionally, Gordon Setter and Greta Dane will serve as pre-game field correspondents.

On Super Bowl Sunday (February 3, 2019) Animal Planet premiered PUPPY BOWL XV from 3-5pm ET/Noon-2pm PT, airing live simultaneously on both coasts for the second time. The tail-gating started with the PUPPY BOWL Pre-Game Show at 2pm ET/11am PT, featuring aww-nalysis and cuddly commentary from sports correspondents, including the infamous Rodt Weiler with James Hound and Sheena Inu serving as pre-game show analysts. This year's PEDIGREE Starting Lineup presents puppies who are also competing for the individual Bissell MVP (Most Valuable Puppy) by scoring the most touchdowns with dog-approved toys by Chewy.com. We'll see familiar faces including America's favorite "Rufferee," Dan Schachner, who returns for the eighth year in a row to call the puppy penalties, furry fumbles and terrier touchdowns, along with award-winning animal advocate and television correspondent Jill Rappaport, who introduces the Subaru of America, Inc. Pup Close and Personal segments that highlight some of the heartwarming stories of the adorable athletes. Accompanying Dan on the sideline is his trusty rufferee assistant, Shirley, the rescue sloth who is keen to show off the slow-motion action throughout the game. We'll also meet Shirley's biggest & enthusiastic fan club -- a group of loveable baby sloths from Costa Rica's Toucan Rescue Ranch sanctuary.

PUPPY BOWL XVI debuted live coast to coast on Sunday, February 2, 2020 from 3-5pm ET/Noon-2pm PT on Animal Planet. Dan Schachner returns for his ninth tear as PUPPY BOWL referee, and he's joined by guests Jonathan and Drew Scott, Whitney Cummings and Emmylou Harris. This year's adoptable puppy players who make up the rosters of #TeamRuff and #TeamFluff celebrate a 'Sweet 16' extravaganza and dig deep and play hard to win the inaugural CHEWY "Lombarky" trophy at GEICO stadium. To celebrate 16 years of incredible adoption stories and tail wagging touchdowns, PUPPY BOWL XVI unleashes more puppy players than ever before in all-new new team colors - from yellow and green to 'Bark Blue' and 'Tail Mary Tangerine'. Tune in for this special two-hour event to experience sloppy kisses, puppy piles & penalties, epic puppy playtime, and more. Animal Planet audiences will also see the return of The Dog Bowl, the one-hour competition for adult and senior dogs living in rescues and shelters. In past years, 100% of the puppies and kittens that have participated in PUPPY BOWL have been adopted to loving families. And after sixteen years of this incredible tradition, this year's set of adoptable animals all end up winners when they touchdown on the field and, finally, into their forever homes.

PUPPY BOWL XVII premiered on Sunday, February 7, 2021 at 2-5pm ET/11am-2pm PT on Animal Planet and discovery+, with Martha Stewart and Snoop Dogg hosting the party. The duo kick off the event in style, donned in their own Puppy Bowl gear including custom orange and blue team jerseys representing each of the puppy teams -- Martha backing Team Ruff and Snoop rooting for Team Fluff -- with a game-day set up that is sure to inspire all other Puppy Bowl tailgate parties with custom snacks, games, and of course a little bit of team smack talk! Joined by a posse of puppy players from Annenberg Pet Space, Paw Works and SPCA LA, Martha and Snoop provide play by play updates throughout the game, cheer on their teams while giving each other a few challenges along the way... including breaking out their culinary skills to create a mouth-watering snack for the party (wings and cupcakes anyone?!) and a friendly Puppy Bowl-themed cocktail competition.

PUPPY BOWL XVIII premiered on Sunday, February 13, 2022 at 2-5pm ET/11am-2pm PT on Animal Planet and discovery+. Get ready to cheer on the adoptable puppy players of TEAM RUFF and TEAM FLUFF as they give it their all to catch air-speed and take home this year's CHEWY "Lombarky" trophy. PUPPY BOWL celebrates adoptable pups in all their cuteness and showcases the incredible shelters and rescues, as well as their staffers, who dedicate their lives to helping animals find their fur-ever loving homes. This year an astounding 67 shelters and rescues from 33 states bring 118 incredible adoptable puppy players out to sport their TEAM RUFF 'Tail Mary Tangerine' and TEAM FLUFF 'Bark Blue' bandana colors. Each pup player is coming to strut their paws and show off their uniqueness, and with the help of the Wisdom Panel(TM) dog DNA test, we'll find out what's beyond those bandanas and luscious fur, and how each dog's breed mix might give them a leg-up on the field. And on top of these hidden traits which may be revealed, these players will give it their all to chase, fetch, guard, heel, and sprint to the CHEWY end zone pylons for the ultimate touchdowns and score game catching field goals on THE HOME DEPOT goal posts.

On Sunday, February 12, 2023 from 2-5pm ET/11am-2pm PT, PUPPY BOWL XIX debuted on Animal Planet, Discovery Channel, tbs, and discovery+. The three-hour television matchup showcases more puppies, more animal shelters and rescues, and more inspiring adoption stories than ever before as the puppy players from Team Ruff and Team Fluff take to the gridiron in the Puppy Bowl stadium to win the Wayfair "Lombarky" trophy. In addition to the ear pulls, tail tugs, sloppy kisses, and puppy penalties, this feel-good sports competition will highlight the incredible work of rescue and shelter workers who dedicate their lives to helping animals find their forever homes. Puppy Bowl XIX will feature 122 puppies, 67 shelters and rescues across 34 states -- and for the first-time will feature a Native American animal organization and a puppy player from Dominica, West Indies.
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PUPPY BOWL XX debuts on Super Bowl Sunday (Sunday, February 11, 2024) from 2-5pm ET on Animal Planet, with a simulcast on Discovery Channel, TBS, and truTV. The 20th anniversary event features an impressive 131 puppy players from 73 shelters and rescues across 36 states and territories as they represent Team Ruff or Team Fluff. Dog-loving referee Dan Schachner returns for his 13th year and for the first time will have a puppy assistant coach, Whistle, who will help him bark the plays and fumbles. Also returning are sportscasters Steve Levy and Taylor Rooks providing the roughest and toughest play-by-play commentary between Team Ruff and Team Fluff. Included in these fur-ocious teams are the all-time smallest pup, Sweetpea, at 1.7 lbs and the biggest, Levi the Great Dane at 70 lbs. While Team Ruff and Team Fluff battle it out on the field, only one player can be crowned MVP (Most Valuable Puppy) as another receives the Underdog Award.

Inspiring adoption stories will be highlighted as the adorable pups race and chase their way to the end zone, all in hopes of winning the "Lombarky" trophy and finding their fur-ever homes. And to celebrate the milestone, four of your favorite past Puppy Bowl players will return to be inducted into the Puppy Bowl Hall of Fame. Six special needs puppy players will also be introduced including Riddle, a pug terrier who suffers from the neurological condition cerebellar hypoplasia; Mr. Bean, a papillon mix who only has his two hind legs; and four pups who don't let their deafness slow them down on the gridiron.