Puppy Bowl 2023: Adorable athletes take to the field

10 February 2023

On the biggest American sporting day of the year, two teams will battle it out: Team Ruff and their bitter rivals, Team Fluff.

WASHINGTON — While millions of people will be cheering on the Chiefs and the Eagles during the Super Bowl on Sunday, it’s important to remember that there’s an even bigger sports event happening on the same day. That’s right, it’s time for the Puppy Bowl!

Puppy Bowl XIX is set for Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 12, at 2 p.m. Eastern.

The three-hour showcase match will feature 122 of the cutest rescue pups you can imagine competing for Team Ruff or their bitter rivals, Team Fluff.

And as cute as the players are, they’re equally adoptable. The dogs in the Puppy Bowl — and the cats performing at halftime — are from 67 shelters across 34 states. The entire program is designed to raise awareness about adopting pets from shelters and rescuing abandoned animals.

For the 12th year in a row, Dan Schachner will be refereeing (or, Ruff-ereeing) the Puppy Bowl, calling puppy penalties, tumbles and touchdowns.

PHOTOS: Puppy Bowl 2023 lineup

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Also returning are live commentators Steve Levy and Taylor Rooks, who will give play-by-play coverage of the adorable matchup.

The matchup will also feature fan-favorite camera angles like the water-bowl cam, slo-mo cam and end zone pylon cameras.

How to watch 2023 Puppy Bowl

The Puppy Bowl XIX Pre-Game show begins at 1 p.m. Eastern on Animal Planet and on the Discovery+ streaming service.

During that pre-show, watchers can learn about the breeds participating in the Puppy Bowl, and will get to see the results of a dog DNA test that could reveal if any players have a leg up on the competition.

The Puppy Bowl simulcast kicks off at 2 p.m. Eastern (11 a.m. Pacific), right after the Pre-Game show on Animal Planet, Dsicovery Channel, TBS, HBO Max and Discovery+.

Puppy Bowl MVP vote

Before the excitement kicks off Sunday, you still have a chance to vote online for the “Most Pupular Player.” Moocow and Josh Allenhound are facing off in the final. The winner will be revealed on Sunday, Feb. 12.

All of the puppies and kittens that have participated in Puppy Bowl previously have wound up being adopted. Hopefully this year’s roster will find their forever families, too!