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Before the puppies get their time to shine on Super Bowl Sunday, the adults will take center stage in the second annual Dog Bowl.
Dog Bowl II starts Saturday at 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT/6 p.m. MT/5 p.m. PT on Animal Planet. If you don’t have cable or can’t get to a TV, you can watch the Dog Bowl live on your computer, phone or streaming device by signing up for one of the following cable-free, live-TV streaming services:
Animal Planet is included in Philo’s main 43-channel bundle, which is the cheapest among all streaming services if you plan on keeping it long-term.
You can start a free 7-day trial of Philo TV right here, and you can then watch Dog Bowl II live on your computer via the Philo website, or on your phone (iPhone supported), tablet, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV or or other supported device via the Philo app.
If you can’t watch live, Philo also allows you to DVR programs and watch them up to 30 days later. And even if you forget to DVR something, Philo also comes with a 72-hour rewind feature, which allows you to replay any event that has aired in the last three days.
PlayStation Vue offers four different channel packages, all of which include Animal Planet.
You can start a free 5-day trial right here (you don’t need to have PlayStation to sign up), and you can then watch a live stream of Dog Bowl II on your computer via the PS Vue website, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the PS Vue app.
If you can’t watch live, PlayStation Vue comes with included cloud DVR.
DirecTV Now also offers four different channel packages, all of which include Animal Planet.
You can start a free trial right here, and you can then watch a live stream of Dog Bowl II on your computer via the DirecTV Now website, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the DirecTV Now app.
If you can’t watch live, DirecTV Now comes with 20 hours of cloud DVR.
2019 Dog Bowl Preview
While the Puppy Bowl, which is now in its 15th year, has long been the highlight of Super Bowl Sunday for many viewers, the Dog Bowl brings a lot of the same adorable, entertaining qualities.
This year’s “game,” which pits Team Goldies vs. Team Oldies, will feature 63 dogs from 31 shelters across 15 states that range in ages from 2 to 16. There are big and little dogs alike, as breeds include German Shepherd, Pomeranian, Pitbull Mix, Rottweiler Mix, Poodle Mix, Chihuahua, Bichon Mix, Boxer, Great Pyrenees Mix, English Bull Dog, Shiba Inu, Rhodesian Ridgeback, Retriever Mix, Sheltie-Collie Mix, Cocker Spaniel, Dachshund, Alaskan Malamute and more. There will also be several special needs dogs featured, including a three-legged Beagle Mix, a partially blind Chihuahua and a deaf Australian Shepherd-Border Collie Mix.
The Dog Bowl, of course, will feature endless amounts of cute and will be fun to watch for anyone with a soul, but it also serves a good purpose. Not only will every dog featured be available for adoption, but the broadcast will highlight more than 150 adoptable dogs in total.
The goal is to get all of these dogs, who may otherwise get overlooked, into forever homes. In many instances, adopting adult dogs may make sense than adopting puppies for certain individuals or families, and this is a way to get across that message.
“Part of the message that we’re trying to get out there is sometimes older dogs are more sedate and low-key for families that might be looking for that,” said Dan Schachner, the seven-year “ref” for the Puppy Bowl. “In a perfect world, a family watches this and goes, ‘Oh, that bulldog is so chill!'”
Added Melissa Carnes, the founder of Sugar Faces Senior Dog Rescue, which will have two dogs in the game: “It really is a great way to raise awareness” of adopting senior dogs.
Special guests include celebrity rescue dogs Mervin the Chihuahua, Marnie the Dog, Ella Bean and Kimchi Kardoggian. The Olate Dogs, who won Season 7 of America’s Got Talent, will also be in attendance.
Animal advocate Jill Rappaport will host.