An important event is taking place today.
No, not the Big Game sporting event. Forget that. I’m talking about the one with the dogs, Puppy Bowl XVII (clearly the more important of the two Sunday showdowns). Should you plan to watch both, no trouble there. The Puppy Bowl will take place hours before kickoff on Sunday, with Snoop Dogg and Martha Stewart—who, I might add, is Benjamin Button-ing before our very eyes—set to host the face-off between Team Ruff and Team Fluff.
The Puppy Bowl is hosted annually by Animal Planet. If you don’t have a cable or live TV package that includes Animal Planet, don’t sweat—you’ll still be able to stream the event. We’ll get to that in a minute.
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As per tradition, the annual event will spotlight adoptable dogs in need of forever homes, this year with 70 pups from 22 shelters across nine states. If you’re interested in being connected with one of the Northeastern rescues or shelters currently caring for the dogs, you’ll be able to do so right here during the Puppy Bowl (but not before). To see the dogs competing in the bracket-style “Pupularity Playoffs” tournament ahead of Sunday, head to Discovery’s Puppy Bowl hub. (And reader, the dogs are good—10/10 would pet.)
The event will begin at 2 p.m. ET on Sunday and will include a Kitty Half-Time Show, appearances from NFL star Chris Godwin, in-app originals featuring Ronnie Stanley, and Ryan Kerrigan, and will of course be hosted by America’s favorite weed enthusiasts. But prior to the official event, there will also be pre-game coverage that kicks off an hour earlier at 1 p.m. ET.
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Additionally, the first dogs Champ and Major, pups to President Biden, will make an appearance during a public service announcement featuring First Lady Jill Biden. The ad spot will promote the ongoing use of masks in curbing the spread of coronavirus.
OK, back to the important part. If you’re not currently a cable or live TV subscriber with Animal Planet included in your package, you’ll still be able to stream the event through Discovery+. Typically, the service costs $5 per month for its ad-supported option or $7 per month for a version of the service without ads. But if you haven’t yet signed up, the service offers a seven-day free trial, and some users may be able to get a year free through Verizon.
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Let the Good Boy games begin.