Puppy Bowl Returns to Animal Planet and Discovery+ on February 7

Back in 2005, Animal Planet offered the debut installment of its Puppy Bowl, serving as a welcome distraction from the NFL Super Bowl, and featured a number of puppies playing with one another on a puppy-sized football field. The program proved to be immensely popular among viewers, with the network keeping up the tradition in subsequent years, with the event only growing bigger and more elaborate with each new installment. Despite the many ways in which public events have been modified or even cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic, this year's Puppy Bowl could be its biggest yet, with the event enlisting a number of exciting guests for its debut on Animal Planet and discovery+ on Sunday, February 7th.

Per press release, "This year, 22 shelters and rescues from nine Northeastern States are enlisted to bring 70 incredible adoptable puppy players out for Puppy Bowl to sport their Team Ruff 'Tail Mary Tangerine' and Team Fluff 'Bark Blue' bandana colors. What genetic traits are these pups bringing to the game? With the Wisdom Panel dog DNA test, we'll find out what's beyond those big puppy dog eyes and how each dog's breed mix might give them an advantage on the field. We'll see their skills play out in the brand-new GEICO Stadium, where these adoptable players have even more room to rumble and fumble! Fan-favorite elements, including slow-motion replays, nose-to-nose action from the famous water bowl cam, and aerial shots of the field from the brand-new Temptations Sky Box are all back this year, along with epic drone shots of puppy players across the arena that bring audiences as close as possible to all the game-play action. The Home Depot goal post nets serve as the backdrop to every touchdown and field goal as audiences have a front-row seat view through lens of the cameras in the Chewy end zone pylons.

"Joining this year as Puppy Bowl XVII announcers are ESPN's Monday Night Football play-by-play announcer Steve Levy and SportsCenter host Sage Steele who will be providing puppy analysis throughout the game! The Puppy Bowl XVII Pre-Game Show begins at 1 p.m. ET where long-time Puppy Bowl sports correspondents Rodt Weiler, James Hound, and Sheena Inu, and field reports Brittany Spaniel and Herman Shepard pump up the crowd with pup insights on the furry matchups before the big game. Sponsored by [ yellow tail ] wine, the Pre-Game Show will also offer ideas on how to create a Puppy Bowl "tail"gate party for the perfect viewing experience. The game opens with a special performance of the National Anthem by singing-group and internet sensation, Boys World, before kicking off with the pups of the Pedigree Starting Lineup, who are giving it their all to compete for the one and only Bissel MVP (Most Valuable Puppy) award by scoring the most touchdowns. Who will take home the title this year to join the greats of puppies past in the Puppy Bowl MVP Hall of Fame? Tune in to find out this and which lucky pup will also take home the coveted Subaru of America, Inc. Underdog Award!

"This year's Pup Close and Personal highlights include a special profile of actress and animal advocate Kristen Bell who has teamed up with Annenberg PetSpace in Los Angeles to spend time with Java, a Labrador mix puppy looking for a fur-ever home to snuggle in; Biscuit, a very special Maltese mix pup from Paw Works in LA, who gets a special day out with one lucky kid baker from Food Network's Kid Baking Championship, where we'll also hear from hosts Valerie Bertinelli & Duff Goldman; Fozzie, a Foster Dogs Inc. Norwegian Elkhound who experiences his first ever grooming from Harlem Doggie Day Spa; and Foofur, a Shepherd mix puppy who is cared for by a very special foster under the PAWS Chicago foster program. Other in-depth profiles include Marshall, a deaf Boston Terrier mix rescue pup who's training with Green Dogs Unleashed to be a therapy dog, where at a local hospital, he will provide a group of COVID ER nurses with a much-needed mental break in the midst of the pandemic; Jett, a double front amputee Labrador mix from Pets With Disabilities in Maryland, who is prepping for the big game with regular jaunts along the countryside with his fellow special needs cat and dog companions; and Stitch, a Hound mix, who at Wilburton Inn-New England dog-friendly resort in Vermont, enjoys a special day out at the Inn on a mission to meet an adopter, before getting scrappy on the field."

The three-hour Puppy Bowl event kicks off on Sunday, February 7th at 2 p.m. ET on Animal Planet and discovery+.

Will you be tuning into the event? Let us know in the comments below!