Puppy Bowl 2026: What time, how to watch

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Amir Arison attends Puppy Bowl XXII Press Event on February 03, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Warner Bros. Discovery)

The fluffiest day in football is here.

Hours before the Seahawks and Patriots face off in the Super Bowl, the Puppy Bowl will bring together 150 adoptable dogs to dash across the gridiron carpet with toys in their mouths. 

Here’s what to know: 

Puppy Bowl 2026

Puppy Bowl XXII will feature 150 dogs from 72 shelters across the United States, Puerto Rico and the British Virgin Islands. 

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Fifteen special needs dogs, including Wynonna, a pup with three legs, and Eleanor, who is both deaf and vision-impaired, will also compete.

Wynonna (Puppy Bowl XXII 2026 Gallery/Warner Bros. Discovery)

How did the Puppy Bowl begin? 

The backstory:

The Puppy Bowl – described by Warner Bros. Discovery as "the original and longest running call-to-adoption television event" – made its debut as counter-programming to the Super Bowl in 2005. 

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How It Works:

Dogs score touchdowns on a gridiron carpet when they cross the goal line — any goal line — with a toy in their mouth.

Queso, a Puppy Bowl 2026 contender (Puppy Bowl XXII 2026 Gallery/Warner Bros. Discovery)

The puppies are split into two teams — Team Fluff and Team Ruff — and each dog is given a nickname — like "Slick Rick" or "J-Paw" — and a specialty, like "Epic end zone dance."

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The dogs’ stories are featured throughout the game. 

What time is the Puppy Bowl? 

The three-hour event starts at 2 p.m. ET. The Puppy Bowl kickoff show starts at 1 p.m. ET. 

Tostada (Puppy Bowl XXII 2026 Gallery/Warner Bros. Discovery)

How to watch the Puppy Bowl

The Puppy Bowl is simulcast across Animal Planet, Discovery, TBS, truTV, HBO Max and discovery+.

RuPaw (Puppy Bowl XXII 2026 Gallery/Warner Bros Discovery)

Halftime show for older dogs

This year will feature a first for the Puppy Bowl: a halftime show for older dogs. 

The halftime show will be Team Oldies versus Team Goldies, offering a showcase for senior dogs as a reminder that they also need adoption and love.

What they're saying:

"Everyone wants the puppy and, unfortunately, the reality of puppyhood is it’s tough," says Victoria Schade, the show’s lead dog trainer and wrangler. "I think people don’t realize that until they’re deep in the thick of it. That’s the beauty of an older dog, an adult dog, a senior dog: They bring a different sort of calm."