'Puppy Bowl 2024': Dogs, date and how to watch the ‘ruffest’ game on television

Samantha Neely, USA TODAY NETWORK - Florida
·3 min read
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It's less than one week until Animal Planet's annual fur-tastic sports game kicks off.

Puppy Bowl XX will kick off within its usual pup-sized football stadium with record-breaking 131 dogs from 73 shelters nationwide, including one puppy hailing from Florida.

When is Puppy Bowl 2024? Am I able to watch the Puppy Bowl and the Super bowl on Sunday?

The three-hour Puppy Bowl XX will air on Feb. 11 at 2 p.m. ET.

For those worried they'll miss out on the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers while tuning into the pups' game, don't fret. Kickoff for Super Bowl LVIII begins at 6:30 p.m. EST.

How can I watch Puppy Bowl 20?

The Puppy Bowl will air on Animal Planet, Discovery, Discovery +, TBS, TruTv and Max.

How does the Puppy Bowl work?

For those new to game, it will field a roster of pups from the perennially opposing sides − this year's being Team Ruff and Team Fluff − frolicking and "sniffing butts on the turf field" in a way that sometimes resembles football.

Dan Schachner, a former NFL referee, will return to the Puppy Bowl for his 13th year as referee. He will be joined by a Bichon Frisé/poodle mix named Whistle as his assistant.

Puppy Bowl referee Dan Schachner holds Whistle, the event's first-ever dog assistant ref. Whistle is from the Phoenix Animal Rescue.
Puppy Bowl referee Dan Schachner holds Whistle, the event's first-ever dog assistant ref. Whistle is from the Phoenix Animal Rescue.

Sportscasters Steve Levy and Taylor Rooks will also return to provide play-by-play commentary and special elements such as the slo-mo cam, the water-bowl cam and kitten spectators in the Temptations Sky Box.

Keep in mind that the Puppy Bowl has already been filmed. It is now being edited for Sunday's broadcast, according to USA TODAY.

Meet Mr. Bean, representing Florida in Puppy Bowl 20

Mr. Bean, a papillon mix born without fore legs, was adopted by Dasha Melgarejo, a Wellington resident and horse jumper.
Mr. Bean, a papillon mix born without fore legs, was adopted by Dasha Melgarejo, a Wellington resident and horse jumper.

Who will Florida be supporting in the Puppy Bowl? Well, all of the puppies, but which one will we especially be rooting for?

Meet Mr. Bean, a papillon who was born with only his back legs and learned to walk despite his setbacks. He is a rescue puppy from Barky Pines Rescue and Sanctuary in Loxahatchee, Florida.

"Once he was found as a stray, Mr. Bean was taken to a shelter and eventually made his way to Barky Pines Rescue and Sanctuary. A few months later, he was adopted by a local couple who absolutely adore him," officials write about the upcoming Puppy Bowl player. "He also has several fur siblings to play with and steal toys from, which he manages to do quite often."

Along with Mr. Bean, there will be six dogs in total with special needs, including a pug terrier Riddle who has the neurological condition cerebellar hypoplasia.

Can I adopt Mr. Bean or any of the puppies in the Puppy Bowl?

All of the dogs are available for adoption, with the caveat that they're so cute, they're going fast. Many have already been adopted, including by the Puppy Bowl crew.

"We're transparent about that. Our goal is to find them their forever home," Schachner said. "Seven have been adopted by the crew, which is a record, from a show editor to the network president."

For those interested in Mr. Bean, visit Barky Pines Animal Rescue and Sanctuary's website for more information.

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Puppy Bowl 2024 on Sunday: What channel and where to stream