Team Fluff won Puppy Bowl 22 with a score of 73-69 over Team Ruff. The game was back and forth in terms of scoring, with Team Ruff having a six-point lead over Team Fluff at half, but in the end, Team Fluff rallied and won.
At the end of the first quarter, the score was tied 14- 14, but by the end of the second quarter, Fluff was down six points with a score of 28-34. Eventually, Team Fluff brought it back to 56-48 going into the fourth quarter and remained strong to win the game The 16 starters for this year’s Puppy Bowl all competed for the title of “Most Pupular,” which was won by Boba the Australian Shepherd mix.
The “Underdog” award was given to Sir Remington Fluffypoo Esquire II, better known as Remy.
The two honorary Puppy Bowl 22 referees were Santa and Clara, two nine-month-old ginger domestic longhair tabby cat siblings. Usually, the halftime show is where the cats are given the spotlight, but this year the halftime show featured senior dogs.
“Everyone wants the puppy and, unfortunately, the reality of puppyhood is it’s tough,” Victoria Schade, the show’s lead dog trainer and wrangler, told ESPN. “I think people don’t realize that until they’re deep in the thick of it. That’s the beauty of an older dog,an adult dog, a senior dog: They bring a different sort of calm.”
The game itself is meant to encourage people to adopt dogs from shelters across the country rather than buy them from breeders. By showcasing adoptable puppies and senior dogs this year, Warner Bros. Discovery hopes to make adopting more appealing to people.
“Even if you’re not ready at that moment to adopt, it stays in your mind when you watch,” Howard Lee, chief creative officer of Warner Bros., said to The New York Times.
According to Deadline, Puppy Bowl 22 grossed a total of 15.3 million views on Super Bowl Sunday across Warner Bros., Animal Planet and a variety of streaming platforms.
“This year’s Puppy Bowl delivered its strongest performance in nearly a decade, and its success across linear and streaming highlights our unique ability to unite audiences around content that feels good and does good,” Joseph Boyle, head of content for Discovery, told Variety. “We’re grateful to bring viewers so much joy and are deeply proud of the purpose at the heart of this event.”
