Even if you don’t like sports and are the type of person that thought Tom Brady retired years ago, you are doubtlessly aware that Super Bowl Sunday is approaching.
But just to recap: Super Bowl LVII starts at 6:30pm on February 12, and will air on Fox and Fox Sports. Maybe you’re the sort of Philadelphia Eagles fan that now compulsively says “Go Birds” at every utterance, or perhaps you ride for the Kansas City Chiefs. Or perhaps the main draw of Super Bowl Sunday for you is that Rihanna is going to perform for the first time in years.
Humans are an opinionated bunch. We may disagree on our favorite sports team, or vary in our overall enthusiasm for football and such. But there’s one thing nearly everyone can agree on in our divided culture: puppies are cute.
It's a truth as simple as it is universal: puppies are super adorable, and human beings love to look at them and go “awww.” And fortunately, right before the Super Bowl, Warner Bros is giving you an opportunity to “awwwwwwwwwww” your heart out, and perhaps adopt a new member of your family.
When Is The Puppy Bowl?
Puppy Bowl XIX will air live across a number of Warner Brother Discovery (WBD) platforms, including Animal Planet, Discovery Channel, TBS, HBO Max and discovery+, starting at 2pm EST.
There will also be a pre-show at 1pm featuring what the network calls “exclusive interviews with coaches and players.” (Are the dogs being interviewed? One wonders what they’ll have to say.)
Puppy Bowl began in 2005 as Animal Planet’s counter-programming to the Super Bowl, featuring adorable pups playing inside a model stadium, and over the years has grown in popularity.
Now it's arguably second only to Thanksgivings’ National Dog Show in terms of national doggy content. As Warner Bros Discovery has worked to leverage its various assets and networks in order to grow the company, what began as a lighthearted lark from Animal Planet is now a big deal for the company, attracting sponsorships from brands such as Wayfair (W) and Pedigree.
But in addition to serving as a cute distraction you can have on in the background while making your game day dip or otherwise preparing for your party, the event also raises awareness of the shelter system, as most of the featured dogs are available for adoption.
This year’s Puppy Bowl will feature 122 puppies, 67 shelters and rescues across 34 states, as well as heart-warming adoptions stories and testimonials from shelter and rescue workers. The “game” will be refereed by Dan Schachner, while sportscasters Steve Levy and Taylor Rooks will return to provide play-by-play commentary.
Also joining in on the fun are personalities from across the WBD empire, including Egypt Sherrod and Mike Jackson from “Married to Real Estate,” Faruq Tauheed from “Battlebots,” and Alex Guarnaschelli from “Supermarket Stakeout,” as well as talent from Discovery Channel’s “Street Outlaws” and the upcoming DC Universe film “Shazam! Fury of the Gods.”
Additionally, there will be “Pup Close and Personal” segments sponsored by Subaru (FUJHF) that will highlight the back stories of the furry stars.
And just to make it extra heart-warming, there will also be a number of special needs animals that are looking for a forever home, including Julius, a hearing-impaired Dalmatian, Marmalade, a sight and hearing-impaired Border Collie/ Australian Cattle Dog; and Mykonos, a American Staffordshire Terrier/Bulldog with a cleft palate, among others.
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But What About The Cats?
People love dogs. They also love cats. You can love both, in fact. There’s no need to make it a competitive thing or whatever.
But if you are concerned there won't be enough feline representation at Puppy Bowl, take heart, as there’s also the Kitty Halftime Show, which is sponsored by Arm & Hammer (CHD), features a group of adorable shelter felines running around a custom set, playing with toys while also occasionally taking cat naps. Even the lure of a national television audience can prevent a cat from sleeping whenever and wherever they feel like it.
