Puppy Bowl Bringing 70 Pups Onto the Gridiron for 2021 Event

With the NFL postseason starting on Saturday, football fans are getting excited for the first [...]

By John Newby

With the NFL postseason starting on Saturday, football fans are getting excited for the first Sunday in February. They are ready to watch Super Bowl LV — although some viewers are ready to watch a different competition. Many are preparing for the annual Puppy Bowl, which will take place on Feb. 7, 2021.

According to a Discovery press release, Puppy Bowl XVII will go on as planned and will air on two separate platforms. Animal Planet will provide the primary broadcast as usual, but Discovery+ subscribers can also watch the three-hour event on the new streaming service. 2021's iteration will also feature some ESPN talent as Monday Night Football play-by-play announcer Steve Levy and SportsCenter host Sage Steele will take part in the fun to call the action on the field.

"PUPPY BOWL celebrates adoptable pups in all their cuteness and showcases the incredible shelters and rescues, as well as their staffers, who dedicate their lives to helping animals find their loving homes," the press release states. "In years past, PUPPY BOWL is 16 for 16 with the adoption rate at 100% as all puppies and kittens featured in PUPPY BOWL to date have found their forever homes with loving families. And even though this past year has been different from year's past, one thing is for certain - there will be a PUPPY BOWL - and discovery+ and Animal Planet continue this annual tradition to highlight these special puppy players and kittens so that they can finally find the place they are meant to call 'home.'"

Puppy Bowl will feature larger teams due to the expanded "rosters." The press release states that 22 shelters and rescues from nine Northeastern States combined to bring 70 adoptable puppy players to Puppy Bowl. These canines will split into two teams — Team Ruff and Team Fluff — while wearing 'Tail Mary Tangerine' and 'Bark Blue' bandana colors, respectively.

In keeping with tradition, Puppy Bowl XVII will also feature the return of its primary "Rufferee." Dan Schachner will join the broadcast for his 10th consecutive game and will call the biggest plays, whether they are penalties, tumbles, or touchdowns. Award-winning animal advocate and television correspondent Jill Rappaport will also join the broadcast and highlight many of the competitors through segments, such as "Pup Close and Personal" and "Senior Spotlight."

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