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The Puppy Bowl has been a Super Bowl Sunday tradition for more than two decades. The annual event, which returns for its 22nd year in 2026, helps promote animal adoption with its adorable, furry showdown between Team Ruff and Team Scruff. And this year, the puppy players will be joined by some very special halftime performers.

Team Oldies and Team Goldies face off during Puppy Bowl halftime 

For the first time ever, the 2026 Puppy Bowl will feature a special senior dog halftime show exhibition game. Team Oldies and Team Goldies will go head-to-head in the all-new Pro-Dog Halftime Showdown. During the game, social media influencer Isabel Klee (aka SimonSits) will introduce her new foster, a senior dog that will take the field in the halftime senior matchup game. She’ll share how her socialization efforts will help give the pup a better chance at finding a forever home.

The older canine players “bring a different energy to the field,” lead puppy trainer Victoria Schade told the Associated Press. “With the puppies, we have that unbridled puppyhood enthusiasm, whereas the senior dogs they’ve got a playbook. They’ve been through a lot and they’re going to strategize a little harder than those puppies are.”

Seeing the senior dogs in action will hopefully encourage some viewers to look beyond puppies when adopting their next pet. 

​​“Everyone wants the puppy and, unfortunately, the reality of puppyhood is it’s tough,” Schade said. “I think people don’t realize that until they’re deep in the thick of it. That’s the beauty of an older dog, an adult dog, a senior dog: They bring a different sort of calm.”

Other new elements for Puppy Bowl XXII include an inside look at shelter staff cheering on their puppy players and a spirited Barking Lot Tailgate party hosted by Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers, with special appearances by Todd Graves, Owner and Founder, and his dog Cane III. 

“Puppy Bowl XXII celebrates the spirit of the underdog with a gameday celebration that combines the excitement of a sports matchup with uplifting adoption stories,” said Joseph Boyle, head of content for Discovery Channel. “By introducing new segments like our senior spotlight and enhancing fan-favorite elements, we are creating a deeper connection to our audience and delivering the most entertaining sports spectacular on television.” 

How to watch Puppy Bowl XXII 

Puppy Bowl XXII will take place on Sunday, February 8, ahead of the Super Bowl LX kickoff at 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT. The pawsitively adorable event begin as 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT. It will be simulcast across Animal Planet, Discovery, TBS, truTV, HBO Max and discovery+.   

The Puppy Bowl XXII Kickoff Show will air at 1 p.m. ET/ 10 a.m. PT. Schade and referee Dan Schachner will scout 10 prospects on the all-new practice field, testing their mettle in a Puppy Combine before selecting the top pick in the Puppy Bowl Draft.

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