Puppy Bowl

Sunday is the big game. No, not that one. The Puppy Bowl is back for its 22nd year, with adoptable pups tumbling around a tiny football field once again. What’s the secret to keeping this feel-good stunt going year after year?

“It’s recognizing that the heart and soul of the show is the puppies. We try to keep things simple and fun and lighthearted, all while making sure that the puppies are the stars of the show,” says Joseph Boyle, Head of Content for Discovery. That doesn’t mean the Puppy Bowl can’t learn some new tricks. This year’s three-hour canine extravaganza, which simulcasts across Animal Planet, Discovery, TBS, truTV, HBO Max and discovery+ starting at 2pm ET/11am PT Sunday, will spotlight senior dogs for the first time in a special exhibition game—Team Oldies vs. Team Goldies. Those kinds of thoughtful evolutions keep Puppy Bowl fresh.

“Everyone loves working on the show because of its mission. We brainstorm ideas all year long and then find the right way to try them out in show,” said Boyle. “As for must-haves, it all comes down to the puppies first and foremost. Our amazing shelter partners are so dedicated to the event every year. Without them, there would be no Puppy Bowl. Also, Dan the Ref [Dan Schachner]. His love for the pups and his commitment to the mission of Puppy Bowl is apparent in every frame.”

Puppy Bowl 2026 features a record-breaking 150 dogs from 72 shelters in the U.S., Puerto Rico and British Virgin Islands. Other special touches include a behind-the-scenes look at shelter staff cheering on their puppy players, a doggy training session with Buffalo Bills wide receiver Khalil Shakir and a boatload of sponsors, including a tailgate party hosted by Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers, with an appearance by founder Todd Graves and his pup Cane III. 

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