When is the Puppy Bowl 2023? What to know about the cutest competition in sports

Emily DeLetter, Cincinnati Enquirer
·2 min read
According to the New York Post, officials have only been tracking scores of the Puppy Bowl for the last six years.

Ready, set, cute!

The 19th annual Puppy Bowl (and arguably the most important game of the day) will return to screens Sunday, just ahead of the Super Bowl.

Puppy Bowl XIX features puppies on Team Ruff and Team Fluff competing for the Wayfair "Lombarky" Trophy. The 122 adoptable puppies represent 67 shelters and rescues across 34 states, including 11 special-needs puppies.

The Puppy Bowl will also feature all the pomp and circumstance, as well as the return of fan-favorite elements, including the Puppy Cheer Squad; water bowl, slo-mo and end zone pylon cameras, and a new backstage look at the puppy players' red carpet arrivals.

When is Super Bowl 2023?A look at when and where it is, who's performing at halftime

What time does the Puppy Bowl 2023 start, and what channel is it on?

The cutest competition in sports will begin with a pre-show at 1 p.m. ET, available to watch or stream on Animal Planet, Discovery Channel, TBS, HBO Max and Discovery+. The official Puppy Bowl will begin at 2 p.m. ET.

The Puppy Bowl will be refereed by Dan Schachner for his 12th year, and sportscasters Steve Levy and Taylor Rooks will provide play-by-play commentary.

Who are the dogs in the Puppy Bowl?

This year, 122 puppies on Team Ruff and Team Fluff will face off in a three-hour matchup of the goodest boys and girls. The puppies you'll see on screen are all adoptable and represent 67 shelters and rescues from 34 states.

For the first time, the Puppy Bowl will feature a Native American animal organization and a puppy from Dominica, West Indies.

There are 11 special-needs puppies this year, including: Julius, a hearing-impaired Dalmatian; Marmalade, a sight and hearing-impaired Border Collie/Australian cattle dog; and Mykonos, an American Staffordshire terrier/bulldog with a cleft palate.

Who won the Puppy Bowl in 2022?

Team Fluff won the 18th annual Puppy Bowl last year, beating Team Ruff 73-69.

Kirby, a Labrador retriever from Team Fluff, was named the game MVP.

Is there a halftime show during the Puppy Bowl?

Yes, and it features kittens, because of course it does.

Three shelters will feature the kittens during the Kitty Halftime Show, which are all also adoptable.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: What channel is Puppy Bowl 2023 on? Everything to know about the game