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Celebrating its 21st anniversary, these furry competitors will face off in their own big game on Feb. 9 — here's how to watch the Puppy Bowl without cable, and where to stream for free
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Super Bowl Sunday is about a lot more than just football — there’s the catchy commercials (and the teaser trailers for said commercials), the halftime show, loads of game day party snacks, and this year, a lot of Taylor/Travis. But there’s another big game happening this weekend, and it’s not the Kansas City Chiefs looking for a three-peat against the Philadelphia Eagles. Feb. 9 is all about Team Ruff versus Team Fluff, aka the annual Puppy Bowl.
At A Glance: How to Watch Puppy Bowl 2025
- Stream: DirecTV Stream, Sling, Philo, Max, Discovery+
- TV Channels: Discovery, Animal Planet, TBS and TruTV
- Date, Start Time: Sunday, Feb. 9 at 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT
The Puppy Bowl returns again for its 21st anniversary in 2025 with two teams of shelter and rescue dogs competing against each other to see which canine team will reign supreme and nab the “Lombarky” Trophy. The adorable competition promises to be the “puppiest” Puppy Bowl ever with over 140 dogs taking part in the big game, including the first ever pregame show, where 10 dogs will compete in practice drills in hopes of being top pick in the Puppy Bowl draft. This year will also feature 11 special needs pups, including a blind and hearing-impaired Australian shepherd mix and a pit bull terrier mix in a wheelchair.
So if you want to catch these rough and tumble pups play inside the model stadium and see who will win MVP (Most Valuable Puppy), these are all the ways you can watch Puppy Bowl XXI online, and even how you can stream the adorable event for free.
When is the Puppy Bowl 2025?
Puppy Bowl XXI airs on Sunday, Feb. 9 with a one-hour Puppy Combine pregame show featuring furry hosts on Animal Planet beginning at 1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT. The big “game” then kicks off at 2 p.m. ET / 11 a.m. PT and runs for three hours before the real Super Bowl starts.
The puppies come from 80 shelters across 36 states, the largest cohort yet, with 142 dogs total playing with sports-themed toys and trying to score “goals” for their team. Unfortunately, this year’s Kitten Bowl counter program on the Hallmark channel has been cancelled, but you can still watch the popular Kitty Half-Time Show, which features kittens playing for 30 minutes with laser pens, balls of yarn, and other toys.
How to Watch Puppy Bowl 2025 on TV
The Puppy Bowl is airing on Animal Planet, Discovery, TBS, and truTV, so if you have a live TV streamer (like this one from DirecTV Stream or Sling), you’ll be able to watch Puppy Bowl XXI live on TV. The event will also be available to stream on Max and Discovery+.
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Puppy Bowl 2025 Live Stream: How to Watch the Puppy Bowl Online
Looking for a Puppy Bowl live stream? There are a few ways to watch the 2025 Puppy Bowl online without cable.
DirecTV Stream
DirecTV Stream is a great option for all sports fans, and not just of the furry kind. It carries Disovery, TBS, and TruTV so you can get a livestream of the Puppy Bowl 2025 game, plus up to 160+ other channels for sports, entertainment, and news. Grab a five-day free trial here; packages start at $86.99 a month after the trial ends. Right now, you can also catch the Big (and Pup-Sized) Game with DirecTV’s new MySports Beta for just $49.99 for the first 3 months.
Sling TV
For both Puppy Bowl coverage and Super Bowl post-game coverage on channels like ESPN, NFL Network, and NBC, you’re going to want to nab to watch the Puppy Bowl live on Animal Planet. Sling is a great live TV services if you want to cut the cord for good, and you’ll get dozens of live network and cable channels. Sling Blue carries Discovery Channel and TruTV along with a 46-channel lineup starting at 50% off for your first month ($25.50, normally $50.99). Sling Orange + Blue carries a total of 46 channels and 22 exclusive channels starting at $33 a month.
Philo
If you’re too busy watching game day coverage to catch the festivities, another way to watch the Puppy Bowl on-demand is through Philo. What we like: you can actually use Philo’s cloud DVR to record the Puppy Bowl when it replays on Animal Planet, and then stream the Puppy Bowl on-demand from your TV, phone, tablet or computer. The streamer also gives you over 60 channels to watch, including Animal Planet, for only $28/month with a 7-day free trial.
Max
Max is the official streaming home of the Puppy Bowl and pre-show. A subscription to Max runs just $9.99/month, which is a great value for the thousands of hours of content available on the streaming service but a limited-time Amazon promo lets you stream the Puppy Bowl live online free for up to a week. The streamer covers content from every channel under their umbrella, including HGTV, Food Network, TLC, Animal Planet, OWN, Discovery, Discovery+ Originals, and more. You’ll also be able to watch new episodes of shows shortly after they air, and stream a 24/7 video feed of any channel.
Discovery+
Outside of Max, Discovery+ is another way to stream the 2025 Puppy Bowl online, as well as watch shows from Discovery’s other channels like HGTV, Food Network, TLC, ID, and Animal Planet. This streamer just got a price increase last month, so a subscription now costs $5.99 per month for an ad-supported and $9.99 per month without ads.
How to Watch Puppy Bowl 2025 Online Free
Don’t want to pay for cable, but not quite ready to cut the cord completely for streaming services? There are still a few ways you can watch the toy-tugging, tail-wagging festivities. Grab a free trial to any of the above streaming services like DirecTV Stream or Philo and you’ll be able to watch the Puppy Bowl online free.
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