Puppy Bowl 2021: Time, Channel, Lineup & Everything You Need to Know

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It’s the time of the Puppy Bowl.

Featuring 70 puppies from 22 different shelters, Sunday’s event will take on Team Ruff against Team Fluff in a dog soccer game for a common goal: to be adopted.

Here’s What You Should Know.

What actually is the Puppy Bowl?

Don’t be fooled by the Roman numerals. This is Puppy Bowl No. 17, the latest in a tradition that started in 2005.

The pups are split into two teams and placed in a dog-sized football stadium to compete for ‘touchdowns’, as well as a performance with a national anthem, halftime show, play-by-play commentary and a ‘rufferee’.

Puppies play at Puppy Bowl XVII.
The winning team captain receives a “Chewy Lombarky Trophy”, but basically all dogs win.
From the past 16 events, 100% of the puppies and kittens have been adopted. (Yes, there are kittens – more on that later.)

The Puppy Bowl is all about celebrating adoptable pups and the shelters and staff who help them.

Who is in?

This year’s Puppy Bowl features dogs from nine northeastern states.

Puppies play at Puppy Bowl XVII.

You meet Marshall, a deaf Boston Terrier mix training to become a therapy dog ​​for Covid-19 nurses.

You will learn about Mona, a 10-year-old Toy Poodle mix from Los Angeles who attends Reiki healing sessions.

You’ll see five special needs players and four hard of hearing pups, including Jett, a Labrador mix with double amputation on the front who likes to run around the countryside.

And all of these players will be cheered on for the first time from the sidelines by puppy cheerleaders, Animal Planet said in a statement.
You can meet the players here.

Are they just dogs?

Well no. For starters, this year’s Puppy Bowl is going to be very presidential.
First Lady Jill Biden filmed a public service announcement during the event, featuring the first two dogs, Champ and Major. Major is believed to be the first shelter dog with an address in the White House.
First Lady Jill Biden with first dogs Champ and Major.
Old friends Snoop Dogg and Martha Stewart will host, with Dan Schachner as the “rufferee” of the game. In honor of 10 years of ruffereeing for the Puppy Bowl, Schachner will declare punishment for puppies, ruffhousing and touchdowns.
Martha Stewart and Snoop Dogg.

ESPN play-by-play announcer Steve Levy and “SportsCenter” host Sage Steele will provide human commentary.

And then – there are the kittens. Adoptable kittens will have the performance of a lifetime at the annual Kitty Halftime Show.

Okay … I’m sold. Where can I watch?

You can watch this three-hour event on Discovery + and Animal Planet on Sunday, February 7, starting at 2 p.m. ET.

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