Puppy Bowl 2024: Where to Watch, How to Celebrate & More

On February 11, two teams of adorable, adoptable doggos will go snout to snout to battle for the biggest prize in fur-baby football: the Puppy Bowl! This annual tradition is now in its 20th successive year and is the perfect way for canine-loving football fans to kick off their Super Bowl Sunday!

But what are the rules of the Puppy Bowl? And where can I watch the 2024 Puppy Bowl live? Scroll down for everything you need to know about 2024's Puppy Bowl XX!

The Puppy Bowl is a three-hour annual event by Animal Planet that has happened every Super Bowl Sunday since 2005. It involves two teams of adoptable dogs competing in a game loosely based on football. The event has become increasingly "pawpular," with over 13 million pet parents and their pups tuning in for the 2023 Puppy Bowl in the U.S. alone!

The 2024 Puppy Bowl is set to be the biggest yet, featuring 131 barking buddies from 73 shelters and rescues across 36 states and territories! Plus, these pups are joined by a bunch of other cute critters — you won't want to miss out on the Kitty Halftime Show!

The Puppy Bowl's goal is to promote adoption — all doggos involved are adoptable, and the event has a 100% adoption rate for all competitors. Thanks to the Puppy Bowl, over 1,400 pups have found their furever home since 2005.

The Puppy Bowl takes the well-being of its competitors very seriously. A vet and representatives from the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) are present during the game to monitor each dog's health and well-being.

The rules of the Puppy Bowl are straightforward (and certainly less complicated than football!). The Big Game features two teams - Team Ruff and Team Fluff - competing for the coveted "Lombarky Trophy." Team Ruff plays in red, and Team Fluff plays in blue.

Pup participants have to carry or drag a chew toy into either end zone to score a touchdown. There's no limit to the number of toys that can be in play at once. Officials swap out the toys "ruffly" every 20 minutes.

Each starting line-up consists of eight canine competitors. There's a break in play every 20 minutes so the dogs can rest and rehydrate.

Pups can receive penalties for "unsportsmanlike" behavior. Each penalty is a puppy pun, like "unnecessary ruffness" and 'pass inter-fur-ence.'

Last year's Puppy Bowl was the most dramatic in history. It was the first Puppy Bowl to go into overtime, with Team Fluff edging out Team Ruff 87-83!!

Where to watch the Puppy Bowl 2024: discovery+, Animal Planet, TBS, truTV, and Max

Pre-show: 1 PM Eastern/10 AM Pacific on Sunday, February 11, 2024

Puppy Bowl kickoff: 2 PM Eastern/11 AM Pacific on Sunday, February 11, 2024

The Super Bowl LVIII starts at 6:30 PM Eastern/3:30 PM Pacific, making the Puppy Bowl the “pawsome” way to kick off your Super Bowl Sunday!

Supporting the cutest players in the sport is "Rufferee" Dan Schachner returning for his 13th year officiating the Puppy Bowl. Assistant coach pup Whistle will join Dan on the sidelines to become the Puppy Bowl's first canine official. Sportscasters Steve Levy and Taylor Rooks will be commentating on every touchdown, fumble, and foul.

You can vote for which pup gets the "Most Pupular" award out of each team's starting line-up! The pup that's best with a pigskin will be crowned "Most Valuable Pup," becoming one of the Puppy Bowl's all-time greats.

This year's competition includes the smallest and largest pups ever in the Puppy Bowl: Sweetpea at 1.7 lb and Levi the Great Dane at 70 lbs. Six special needs pups will also take to the field in Puppy Bowl XX.

Can't wait to see the players of Puppy Bowl XX? Here's a sneak peek at some of the pup players from each starting line-up!

Team Ruff

• Bark Purdy - From Sacramento SCPA in Sacramento, CA. Bark Purdy the Chihuahua mix is a diehard 49ers fan and will undoubtedly live up to his namesake out on the gridiron!
• Stryker - From Green Dogs Unleashed in Troy, VA. A Border Collie mix, Stryker is one of the Puppy Bowl's deaf competitors. He's a fearless fur-baby that you can expect to make a big impact!
• Vanessa - From Brandwine Valley SPCA in West Chester, PA. Vanessa, the Yorkshire Terrier mix is infamous amongst her competitors for hogging the water bowl! Watch out for her during hydration breaks!
• Guy Fureri - From One Tail at a Time in Chicago, IL. The adorable Guy Fureri is a Shepherd/Poodle mix who adds some extra fluff to Flavortown!
• Moosh - From Green Dogs Unleashed in Troy, VA. Moosh is a Australian Shepherd mix with deafness and one of the friendliest fur-babies in the Puppy Bowl — but that doesn't mean he's not competitive!
• Mr. Bean - From Barky Pines Animal Rescue and Sanctuary in West Palm Beach, FL. Mr. Bean the Papillon mix was born without front legs but is super athletic and sure to hop his way to victory!
• Lady Luck - From Nevada SPCA in Las Vegas, NV. A Poodle mix, Lady Luck is great to have on your side with her laid-back attitude on the field.
• Sonny - From Best Friends Animal Society in New York, NY. This Chihuahua and Miniature Schnauzer mix has a unique speckled coat and tons of energy, making him stand out from the canine crowd.
• Flaxo - From Nickel City Canine Rescue in Buffalo, NY. This big-eared, doe-eyed German Shepherd mix is sure to turn heads on and off the gridiron!
• Cherry - From Arizona Humane Society in Phoenix, AZ. This Poodle and Chihuahua mix might look like a fluffball but won't stop her from catching like a Cardinals wide receiver!
• Chili - From Humane Society of Pikes Peak Region in Colorado Springs, CO. Chili is a Boston Terrier/Chihuahua mix that'll bring the heat to the Big Game!

Team Fluff

• Cronut - From Shar-Pei Rescue of Virginia in Chesapeake, VA. Cronut the Shar-Pei's wrinkly face and cuddly personality mean he's sure to be a fan favorite!
• Harvey - From Pug Nation LA in Gardena, CA. Harvey the Pug is a sleepy pup who's more concerned about getting scratches than playing in the Puppy Bowl!
• Francine - From Rescue Dogs Rock in New York, NY. Francine the black Pug looks sweet but isn't afraid to boss around competitors twice her size!
• Beignet - From Take Paws Rescue in New Orleans, LA. New Orleans native Beignet is a Dachshund mix that loves life in the Big Easy!
• Linus - From The Ronnie Stanley Foundation in Baltimore, MD. Linus is a boisterous barking buddy who'll put pups in their place with noisy yelps!
• Patrick Mabones - From AHeinz57 Pet Rescue group in De Soto, IA. Patrick Mabones may not be from Missouri, but he's a big Chiefs fan! He loves to play and is sure to score a touchdown or two!
• Fred - From Helen Woodward Animal Center in Rancho Santa Fe, CA. A terrier mix, Fred is a lapdog through and through but might surprise you with his athletic ability.
• Levi - From Green Dogs Unleashed in Troy, VA. The Puppy Bowl's largest dog ever, this Great Dane is sure to be a defensive force on the field.
• Athena - From Florida Little Dog Rescue Group in St. Cloud, FL. Athena might look shy, but that classic Chihuahua big-dog attitude will come in clutch on the gridiron.  
• Charlotte - From Bosely’s Place in Smyrna, GA. Charlotte's a pint-sized Peekaboo that'll have no problems sneaking past Team Ruff's defense!
• Riddle - From Pug Nation LA, Gardena, CA. Riddle is a Pug Terrier mix that suffers from cerebellar hypoplasia, but that won't stop him from scoring some big touchdowns!

Yes! All 131 dogs participating in 2024's Puppy Bowl XX are adoptable. These adoptable dogs include special needs pups searching for a "furever" home, including four dogs with deafness and Riddle, a Pug Terrier with cerebellar hypoplasia. However, by the time the Bowl airs, most of the puppies have found their furever homes. 

There’s a sprinkling of stardust at this year's Puppy Bowl as country singer Miranda Lambert will introduce the ‘Adoptable Pup’ segment, which includes adoptable dogs and kittens from 14 shelters and rescues nationwide.

Additionally, Warner Bros. Discovery is partnering with the Best Friends Animal Society to match donations made to the charity to help cover adoption fees from February 7 to 14.

Here's a list of links to a few of the 36 rescues and shelters where you can adopt dogs featured in the 2024 Puppy Bowl:

• Arizona Humane Society in Phoenix, AZ
• Pug Nation LA in Gardena, CA
• Helen Woodward Animal Center in Rancho Santa Fe, CA
• Barky Pines Animal Rescue and Sanctuary in West Palm Beach, FL
• AHeinz57 Pet Rescue group in De Soto, IA
• One Tail at a Time in Chicago, IL
• Take Paws Rescue in New Orleans, LA
• Ronnie Stanley Foundation in Baltimore, MD
• Rescue Dogs Rock in New York, NY
• Best Friends Animal Society in New York, NY
• Nevada SPCA in Las Vegas, NV
• Big Fluffy Dog Rescue in Nashville, TN
• Shar-Pei Rescue of Virginia in Chesapeake, VA
• Green Dogs Unleashed in Troy, VA
• Ruff Start Rescue STX in St. Croix, Virgin Islands

Want to celebrate the Big Game with your favorite two- and four-legged football fanatics? Here are a few Puppy Bowl ideas to inspire you and your crew!

Vote for your favorite

Before the Puppy Bowl starts, why not vote for your favorite fur-baby? The Pupularity Playoffs are back this year, with 16 pups competing to be crowned the cutest canines. Voting is already underway, with only 4 pups remaining in the competition: Moocow, Josh Allenhound, Mykonos, and Espresso. The winner will be announced on Super Bowl Sunday.

Add the Puppy Bowl to your Super Bowl "paw-ty"

One of the easiest ways to celebrate the Puppy Bowl 2023 is to make a part of your Super Bowl party. Get the party started early by watching the 3-hour Puppy Bowl before the main event. Set out a midday dog-themed buffet, and even grab your canine compadre some snacks to celebrate. You could even bake your dog some homemade dog treats.

Host your own Puppy Bowl

Consider hosting your own Puppy Bowl if you have friends with fur-babies or several doggos of your own. Set up a few end zones in your yard, grab some of your best squeaky toys, and keep track of puppy touchdowns. The MVP gets a special treat for being the top dog! A Puppy Bowl is a great way for your dog to make new friends and get some much-needed exercise.

Related: How to Train Your Dog to Play Football

Donate to a featured shelter

Donate to one of the shelters or rescues featured on the Puppy Bowl. Making a donation celebrates what the Puppy Bowl is all about and helps adorable doggos in need. If a small percentage of the millions of viewers who tune into the Puppy Bowl annually made a small donation to a shelter or rescue, it would change the lives of countless canines and felines.

Related: 9 Ways to Help Your Local Animal Shelter

Adopt one of the pups!

The best way to support and celebrate the Puppy Bowl is to ask about adopting one of the pups featured on the show. However, there's a good chance all pups featured have already found their forever homes, thanks to the Puppy Bowl's flawless adoption rate. You can always contact one of the shelters in the show or go to your local shelter/rescue and adopt a doggo in need instead. Remember: adopt, don't shop!

Related: Where Should You Go to Adopt a Dog?

Puppy Bowl XX image from the Animal Planet website. Copyright Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc.