Overview
- The Feb. 8 telecast at 2 p.m. ET spanned Animal Planet, Discovery, TBS, truTV, HBO Max and Discovery+ under Nielsen live‑plus‑same‑day measurement.
- It ranked as cable’s top non‑sports program of the day in key adult demos, with Adults 25–54 gains on TBS (+11%) and truTV (+104%) delivering network‑best Puppy Bowl ratings.
- Organizers featured a record 150 adoptable dogs from 72 shelters, including 15 special‑needs entrants and a new senior‑dog exhibition, with Dan Schachner returning as referee.
- Discovery Channel content chief Joseph Boyle called it the event’s strongest performance in nearly a decade and a unifier across linear and streaming.
- Viewership outpaced other weekend sports outside the Super Bowl, topping events like the WM Phoenix Open and Duke–North Carolina by more than fourfold.