History of Puppy Bowl in Timeline
The Puppy Bowl is an annual television program aired on Animal Planet that coincides with Super Bowl Sunday. It features puppies playing in a model stadium, with commentary similar to a real football game. First shown in 2005, the program aims to raise awareness about pet adoption and rescuing abandoned animals by showcasing puppies from shelters.
February 6, 2005: First Puppy Bowl Airs
On February 6, 2005, the first Puppy Bowl premiered on Animal Planet, airing opposite Super Bowl XXXIX. The show featured puppies from shelters playing in a model stadium, aiming to raise awareness about pet adoption and animal rescue.
February 4, 2007: Puppy Bowl III Viewership
Puppy Bowl III, which aired on February 4, 2007, drew 7.5 million viewers.
2007: Puppy Bowl Filming Extends to Three Days
In 2007, the filming of Puppy Bowl extended to three days to capture enough footage of the puppies at play.
February 3, 2008: Puppy Bowl IV Viewership and HD Broadcast
Puppy Bowl IV, broadcast on February 3, 2008, had over 8 million viewers and was the first in HD.
August 8, 2008: Puppy Games Premiere
On August 8, 2008, "Puppy Games," a spinoff of Puppy Bowl, premiered opposite the opening ceremonies of the 2008 Summer Olympics. The games included events like swimming, gymnastics, boxing, and soccer, with kittens featured in the opening ceremony. John Ramey provided play-by-play commentary, and Mary Beth Smith was the color commentator.
2008: Andrew Schechter Becomes Puppy Bowl "Rufferee"
Andrew Schechter, an Animal Planet associate producer, became the official "rufferee" for the Puppy Bowl in 2008.
2008: Puppy Bowl IV Halftime Show Shortened
The Kitty Half-Time Show, introduced in Puppy Bowl II, was shortened to 15 minutes in 2008.
2008: Puppy Bowl Staff Increases to 30
The production crew for Puppy Bowl grew to approximately 30 staff members in 2008 to handle the increasing complexity of the show.
2009: Model Blimp Introduced
A model blimp, with shots of the puppies green-screened into the windows, was added to the Puppy Bowl in 2009. Hamsters were shown inside the blimp's control room.
February 7, 2010: Puppy Bowl VI Record Viewership
Puppy Bowl VI, airing on February 7, 2010, had a record 1.1 million viewers for its first broadcast.
2010: Bunny Cheerleaders Debut
"Bunny cheerleaders" (rabbits) were introduced to the Puppy Bowl in 2010.
2010: AAHA Sponsorship and On-Camera Vet Care Begins
In 2010, the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) started sponsoring the Puppy Bowl. A veterinarian began providing on-camera care and tips for viewers.
2010: Puppy Bowl Filming Schedule Adjusted
In 2010, the filming schedule for Puppy Bowl was spread across three days, with breaks every 30 minutes for the puppies to rest due to the heat from the lights. Around 60 puppies participated in the filming.
2010: New Puppy Bowl Narrator
Jeff Bordner took over as the narrator for the Puppy Bowl in 2010.
February 6, 2011: Puppy Bowl VII Premiere
On February 6, 2011, Puppy Bowl VII premiered, drawing 1.7 million viewers in its initial airing, a 60% increase from the previous year. Across all airings, it accumulated an estimated 9.2 million viewers.
2011: Chicken Cheerleaders Replace Bunnies
"Chicken cheerleaders" (hens and roosters) replaced the bunny cheerleaders in 2011.
2011: "Kiss Cam" Parody Introduced
A parody of the "Kiss Cam" was introduced in 2011.
2011: Increased Footage for Puppy Bowl
In 2011, the cameras used for filming Puppy Bowl generated about 50 hours of footage.
2011: Puppy Bowl Filming Location and Participants
In the fall of 2010, the 2011 Puppy Bowl was filmed in the New York City area with 47 puppies participating.
2011: Puppy Bowl Narrator Change
Jeff Bordner narrated the Puppy Bowl in 2011.
2011: Blimp Makes Another Appearance
The blimp appeared again in the 2011 Puppy Bowl.
February 5, 2012: Puppy Bowl VIII Airs
Puppy Bowl VIII aired on February 5, 2012, garnering over 10 million viewers across five airings. It was the second most-watched social television program in the US that day, with a 17% increase in ratings among adults aged 25-54. Over 200,000 Puppy Bowl-related tweets were posted.
2012: Piggy Pep Squad Introduced
A "Piggy Pep Squad" of five pigs replaced the chicken cheerleaders in 2012.
2012: Dan Schachner Debuts as Puppy Bowl Referee
Dan Schachner debuted as the referee for the 2012 Puppy Bowl, replacing Andrew Schechter.
2012: 20 Kittens Featured in Kitty Half-Time Show
In 2012, Animal Planet announced that 20 kittens from shelters would participate in the Kitty Half-Time Show.
2012: Tweeting Cockatiel and Color Commentary Added
In 2012, a cockatiel named Meep "tweeted" about the game, and Jill Rappaport provided color commentary.
2012: American Humane Association Monitors Puppy Bowl
In 2012, the American Humane Association began monitoring the production of Puppy Bowl to ensure the puppies' safety and well-being, preventing aggressive behavior and potential injuries during filming.
2012: Scott Graham Becomes Puppy Bowl Narrator
Scott Graham became the new narrator for the Puppy Bowl in 2012.
2012: Puppy Bowl Features 58 Puppies
The 2012 Puppy Bowl featured 58 puppies and continued to prioritize animal welfare with on-site representatives from animal protection organizations.
2012: Puppy Bowl Ad Revenue Benchmark
The 2012 Puppy Bowl served as the benchmark for measuring the 19% increase in ad revenue seen in 2013.
2012: Significant Increase in Puppy Bowl Footage
The amount of footage captured for the 2013 Puppy Bowl increased to over 90 hours in 2012.
2012: Blimp Continues to Appear
The blimp was featured in the 2012 Puppy Bowl.
2013: Hedgehog Cheerleaders Debut
Hedgehog cheerleaders were introduced in 2013.
2013: Puppy Bowl Sees Increased Ad Revenue and Viewership
In 2013, Puppy Bowl's advertising revenue grew by 19% compared to 2012, attracting new advertisers. For the first time, the "stadium" was commercially branded as the "GEICO Puppy Bowl Stadium." A total of 12.4 million viewers watched parts of the six airings.
2013: Puppy Bowl Footage Exceeds 90 Hours
The 2012 filming for the 2013 airing of Puppy Bowl generated over 90 hours of footage, utilizing various camera angles.
2013: New Features and Animal Planet Stars Join
The 2013 Puppy Bowl saw the return of the hamsters and Meep, while baby hedgehogs in tutus replaced piglet cheerleaders. A "Puppy Cam", "Cute Cam", Animal Planet reality TV stars as commentators, and a puppy hot tub were also introduced.
2013: Puppy Bowl Filming in Manhattan
The 2013 Puppy Bowl was filmed at a television studio in west midtown Manhattan, featuring 63 puppies with 10 on the field at a time. The filming took place over two days.
2013: Puppy Bowl Ad Revenue Growth Comparison
The advertising revenue from the 2013 Puppy Bowl served as the baseline for the 30% increase observed in 2014.
2013: Blimp's Continued Presence
The blimp made another appearance in the 2013 Puppy Bowl.
2013: Increased Number of Kittens in Half-Time Show
The number of kittens in the Kitty Half-Time Show increased to 21 for the 2013 airing.
February 2, 2014: Puppy Bowl X Airs
On February 2, 2014, Puppy Bowl X aired six times over twelve hours, with fresh content for each airing, reaching a record-breaking 13.5 million viewers across all broadcasts.
2014: Puppy Bowl Expands with More Animals
Filmed from October 2-4, 2013, the 2014 Puppy Bowl included 66 puppies, along with kittens, adult cats, dogs, penguins, and hamsters. A larger crew of staff and volunteers managed the animals, providing individual care.
2014: Fish Bowl Premiere
In 2014, Nat Geo Wild aired the "Fish Bowl," a four-hour program showing goldfish swimming in a bowl, inspired by the Puppy Bowl.
2014: Puppy Bowl X Celebrates 10th Anniversary
In 2014, Puppy Bowl X's 10th anniversary included Michelle Obama, police dogs, Meep, Lil Bub, Keyboard Cat, and increased fan interactivity with a "Fantasy Puppy League" and online voting.
2014: Puppy Bowl Ad Revenue and Sponsorships Grow
In 2014, Puppy Bowl advertising revenue increased by 30% over 2013. Three new companies sponsored the show, and Mars, Incorporated's Sheba cat food sponsored a new "cat VIP suite."
2014: Emphasis on Pet Adoption
In 2014, the Puppy Bowl highlighted pet adoption, featuring animals from 33 shelters. The adoption journey of Rosie (later Scout) was followed.
2014: Puppy Bowl Camera Technology
In 2014, the Puppy Bowl utilized ten full-size digital cameras and five GoPro cameras, including hidden cameras in toys and the water bowl, to capture the action from various angles.
2014: Penguin Cheerleaders Replace Hedgehogs
Penguin cheerleaders replaced the hedgehogs in 2014.
February 1, 2015: Puppy Bowl XI Premiere
Puppy Bowl XI premiered on February 1, 2015, and drew 2,767,000 viewers in its initial airing.
2015: Puppy Bowl Increases Puppy and Kitten Participants
For the 2015 Puppy Bowl, 55 out of 85 submitted puppies from various shelters were selected, along with 25 kittens for the halftime show. The filming took place in 12-hour blocks over two days.
2015: "Road to the Puppy Bowl" and Puppy Bowl XII
In 2015, "Road to the Puppy Bowl" events preceded Puppy Bowl XII, resulting in numerous adoptions. The Puppy Bowl featured a wardrobe malfunction, silkie chicken cheerleaders, and a skunk referee.
2015: Puppy Bowl Uses 18 Cameras and Extensive Editing
In 2015, 18 cameras were used to film Puppy Bowl, requiring several weeks of editing to condense the footage into a two-hour program.
2015: Puppy Bowl XI Introduces Team-Based Competition
In 2015, Puppy Bowl XI introduced a new format with two teams, "Ruff" and "Fluff", competing against each other. Each team wore different colored bandanas, and points were tracked on a hamster-powered scoreboard. Team Ruff won with a score of 87-49.
2015: New Penalty Calls in Puppy Bowl
In 2015, Puppy Bowl introduced three new "penalty" calls: "Terrorizing the ref," "paws interference," and "pancaking." These penalties, like existing ones, did not negatively impact the offending puppy.
2015: Puppy Bowl viewership comparison
In 2015, viewership for the initial airing of Puppy Bowl XI was higher compared to the initial airing in 2016.
February 7, 2016: Puppy Bowl XII Airs
Puppy Bowl XII aired on February 7, 2016. The initial airing had about 2.2 million viewers (a drop of 21% from 2015), but across all airings, viewership reached 9.3 million. It ranked highly amongst key demographics, second only to the Super Bowl itself.
2016: Puppy Bowl Footage Exceeds 100 Hours
In 2016, 15 cameras were used to film the Puppy Bowl, generating over 100 hours of footage for the 2017 show.
2016: Team Touchdown Introduced in Puppy Bowl
In 2016, the Puppy Bowl introduced the concept of a "team touchdown," where two puppies carried the same toy into the end zone.
2016: Puppy Bowl Cleanup Statistics
In 2016, the Puppy Bowl required a significant cleanup effort, utilizing 315 plastic bags for feces and over 1,500 absorbent pads for urine. Incidents of urination and defecation were frequent, but mostly edited out of the final broadcast.
2016: Puppy Bowl Streamlines Filming and Grouping
The 2016 Puppy Bowl returned to a three-day filming format, with two days for puppies and one for kittens and other animals. 49 animals from 44 shelters participated. Puppies were grouped by size for on-field play.
2017: Puppy Bowl Generates Over 100 Hours of Footage
The 2016 filming generated more than 100 hours of footage for the 2017 airing of Puppy Bowl.
2017: Puppy Bowl XIII Features Special-Needs Dogs and New Elements
The 2017 Puppy Bowl XIII included special-needs dogs, a pre-game show, virtual reality features, "Kitty Gaga", and guinea pig and rabbit cheerleaders. Teams competed for the "Lombarky Trophy" with owl and chinchilla mascots.
February 3, 2018: Dog Bowl Premiere
"Dog Bowl," another Puppy Bowl spinoff, premiered on February 3, 2018. It featured 50 older dogs (ages 2-15), divided into "Oldies" and "Goldies" teams, and aimed to promote the adoption of senior dogs.
2018: Overwatch Puppy Rumble
In 2018, Blizzard hosted the "Overwatch Puppy Rumble" on Twitch. This event featured puppies playing capture the flag, celebrating the Year of the Dog in-game event and promoting pet adoption.
2018: Blimp Returns After Hiatus
The blimp made a return to the Puppy Bowl in 2018.
February 2, 2019: Dog Bowl II Airs
Dog Bowl II aired on February 2, 2019.
2019: Cat Bowl Premiere
Inspired by the Dog Bowl, the Cat Bowl, featuring adult cats, premiered in 2019.
February 1, 2020: Dog Bowl III Airs
Dog Bowl III aired on February 1, 2020.
February 2, 2020: Puppy Bowl XVI Airs
Puppy Bowl XVI aired on February 2, 2020.
2020: Scott Graham's Final Year as Puppy Bowl Narrator
Scott Graham continued as the narrator for the Puppy Bowl until 2020.
2020: "Kiss Cam" Makes Another Appearance
The "Kiss Cam" was featured again in 2020.
2020: Blimp's Latest Appearance
The blimp made its latest appearance in the 2020 Puppy Bowl.
February 7, 2021: Puppy Bowl XVII Airs
Puppy Bowl XVII aired on February 7, 2021.
February 13, 2022: Puppy Bowl XVIII Airs
Puppy Bowl XVIII aired on February 13, 2022.
February 12, 2023: Puppy Bowl XIX Airs
On February 12, 2023, Puppy Bowl XIX aired, simulcast across multiple platforms, including Animal Planet, TBS, Discovery Channel, Discovery+, and HBO Max (now Max). This marked the first Puppy Bowl to go into overtime.
2023: Great American Rescue Bowl Premiere
In 2023, Great American Family premiered the Great American Rescue Bowl, featuring both cats and dogs.
February 11, 2024: Puppy Bowl XX Airs
Puppy Bowl XX aired on February 11, 2024.
