The Great American Rescue Bowl, the event formerly known as the Kitten Bowl, returns Sunday, Feb. 8, at noon ET on Great American Family with a two-hour showcase of adoptable kittens, puppies, cats and dogs competing on a miniature gridiron. The fourth annual edition under its current name features host Beth Stern and first-time sideline reporter Trevor Donovan.
Great American Rescue Bowl 2026 Schedule, TV Channel and How to Stream
The two-hour broadcast airs from noon to 2 p.m. ET on Great American Family, fitting neatly before the Puppy Bowl at 2 p.m. and Super Bowl 60 at 6:30 p.m. The event also streams on Great American Pure Flix and GFam+. Cord-cutters can access the broadcast through Fubo, which carries Great American Family in its channel lineup.
Stern, an Animal League America board member who has personally placed more than 2,000 foster animals, returns as host. Actor Trevor Donovan joins as sideline correspondent for the first time. Celebrity appearances from Candace Cameron Bure and Mario and Courtney Lopez are also part of the broadcast.
Oh, me? I’m not watching the super bowl tonight. I’m watching the kitten bowl. pic.twitter.com/M73h9r5efU
— OMG HI KITTY!! (@CatMacroz) February 8, 2026
The rescue pets are split into two teams: the Snuggle Squad and the Cuddle Crew, with eight kittens and eight puppies on each side. Named competitors include Chompers McGee, Patrick Furhomes and Shihtzu Ohtani.
From Kitten Bowl to Rescue Bowl: How the Event Got Here
The event debuted in 2014 on Hallmark Channel as the Kitten Bowl. After eight seasons, Hallmark dropped the program in 2022, and Great American Media CEO Bill Abbott, formerly of Hallmark’s parent company, brought it to Great American Family under a new name for 2023. The rebrand expanded the roster beyond kittens to include puppies, adult cats and dogs.
The event is produced in partnership with North Shore Animal League America, the world’s largest no-kill rescue and adoption organization. Since 2014, the program has facilitated more than 100,000 shelter pet adoptions. Great American Family has partnered with North Shore Animal League to offer 50 percent off adoption fees for all animals six months and older during the broadcast weekend.
Every animal featured in the Great American Rescue Bowl is available for adoption, though some may have already found homes by the time the special airs. For viewers who want the full Super Bowl Sunday pet experience, the Rescue Bowl leads directly into Puppy Bowl XXII on Animal Planet at 2 p.m. ET, making for five straight hours of four-legged competition before the real football begins.