Watching the Puppy Bowl before the Super Bowl is a yearly tradition in my household, and it's always an entertaining time. Whether the show is poking fun at Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce, or just dropping facts about adorable pets, it's one of my favorite events on the 2025 TV schedule. Now it's become a must-watch after an exciting and wild cross-promotion it will have with the James Gunn's Superman movie.
Yes, the premiere dog event of the year will collaborate with the upcoming DC movie in a way that I'm not sure that anyone saw coming. During the event, James Gunn and his dog Ozu will give a special presentation that will include a sneak peek at the Superman movie. Now the Puppy Bowl will also have can't-miss commercials and trailers, so those who have nothing to do before the Super Bowl should make a point to check it out.
In addition to the special sneak peek that I'm thrilled about after seeing the astonishing first Superman trailer, a special honor will be given out at the Puppy Bowl as well. The dog that displays the most "super" abilities will be gifted the Krypto Super Play award, which is named after the Man of Steel's super dog. No word on whether the real Krypto who appears in the movie will be at the event, but the stars do always seem to show up for these big sporting events.
For those curious but never watched, don't worry, the Puppy Bowl airs ahead of the Super Bowl. The fun kicks off this year at 1:00 p.m. ET on Animal Planet, Discovery Channel, TBS, TruTV, Max, and Discovery+ with a pregame show and will go on for three hours following kickoff at 2:00 p.m. ET. With over 142 rescue dogs featured in the event, it's one of the most-hyped adoption efforts of the year.
Also, if you love cats, they get the spotlight in the halftime show! I'm not going to sit here and promise it will be as entertaining as Kendrick Lamar's upcoming halftime performance during the Super Bowl, but I can wager it will be a good deal cuter. With that, plus the footage of Superman that I'm sure we are all dying to see, this is the year to check out the Puppy Bowl.
Unfortunately, we still have some time to wait until Superman is in theaters. It will be nice to see a fresh take on the franchise, especially after the mixed reception to movies like Batman v. Superman: Dawn Of Justice lessened interest in the character and hurt the careers of actors like Jesse Eisenberg. We'll see what fans think after the movie, when it arrives this summer.
As mentioned, the Puppy Bowl will kick off on multiple networks on Sunday, February 8th, beginning at 1:00 p.m. ET with the preshow. I know I'll be watching to see that Superman footage, and I'm sure many others will do the same.
