Puppy Bowl 2014: Online Livestream, Where And What Time To Watch On TV During Super Bowl XLVIII

The Denver Broncos and the Seattle Seahawks are going to go head-to-head during Super Bowl XLVIII at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., on Sunday, Feb. 2, but for those looking to tune into a different kind of tail-wagging good time, Animal Planet will be airing their alternative, annual Puppy Bowl for animal lovers' viewing pleasure.

Puppy Bowl X, a play on the actual NFL Super Bowl, marks the 10th year the network will be pitting 66 pups against one another in a rough and tough game of “football.” For those unfamiliar with the annual TV viewing fare, the game stars a wide variety of breeds playing in GEICO Stadium, a miniature football field, all the while under the watch of their very own returning referee, Dan Schachner.

The Puppy Bowl, which is being marketed as the “the cutest event of the year,” will offer similar features to the official NFL game, including aerial coverage, penguin cheerleaders and an exclusive half-time show sure to make even two-legged viewers tail's wag. While pop singer Bruno Mars is set to take the stage at MetLife Stadium during the 2014 Super Bowl Pepsi Half-time Show, the Puppy Bowl’s Xtraordinary BISSEL KITTY HALF-TIME SHOW will be featuring a Bruno Mars performance of its own. According to Animal Planet’s press release, Internet sensation “Keyboard Cat” will be performing a unique rendition of Bruno’s hit single, “Locked Out of Heaven” during half-time, which will also include other feline surprises.

The game is set to “kick off” starting at 3 p.m. EST Sunday and will air six repeats of Puppy Bowl X throughout the day on the Animal Planet network and via an online livestream, with new updates included every hour for a unique viewing experience. Viewers will be given the option to vote for their top pick for BISSEL MVP (Most Valuable Puppy) hourly, and are encouraged to interact with “Meep the Bird” on his Twitter account: (@MeepTheBird) during the game.

In 2013, Puppy Bowl IX scored record-high ratings, with 12.4 million viewers according to a report from TVByTheNumbers.com. The program’s ratings reportedly surged in viewership during the infamous Super Bowl XLVII blackout, pulling in an additional 1.1 million viewers during a 10-minute window due to lack of game play.