PUPPY BOWL IS BACK - AND THIS TIME WE'RE KEEPING SCORE!

"TEAM RUFF" TAKES ON ARCHRIVAL "TEAM FLUFF" ON SUPER BOWL(TM) SUNDAY IN ANIMAL PLANET'S PUPPY BOWL XI

- Pick a Side as Adorable Archrivals "Team Ruff" and "Team Fluff" Square Off and Follow the Puppy Point Spread with Scoring Updates -

- Who's Katy Perry? "Katty Furry" Roars In Brand New BISSELL(R) Kitty Half-Time Show -

- Animal Planet "Turns the Experience Up to XI" with the Return of the Interactive Puppy Bowl Fantasy Game Today at AnimalPlanet.com -

(New York, NY - January 6, 2015) - Animal Planet's asking the big question that's provoking passionate debate as the big game approaches - "Ruff or Fluff?" It's going to be pawsitively pawsome when America is introduced to its next legendary rivalry - Team Ruff verses Team Fluff - as the two sides play for keeps in a winner-take-all battle featuring competitive scoring for the very first time in PUPPY BOWL history. A record 13.5 million viewers tuned in last season, making PUPPY BOWL the #1 telecast in all of cable, and to celebrate the upcoming anniversary of the furry franchise, Animal Planet is turning the cute dial up to XI!

The 11th edition of Animal Planet's PUPPY BOWL premieres on Sunday, February 1 from 3-5 PM (ET/PT) and repeats all day and night with the cutest pile up of line barkers and wide retrievers to ever grace GEICO Stadium. A new scoreboard provides fans with real-time updates while giggling goat cheerleaders take to the gridiron to cheer on the puppy "maaadness." For the second year in a row, viewers can share photos of themselves and their pets via Instagram using #PuppyBowl all day long for a chance to see themselves and their best friends on TV in real time.

This year's PEDIGREE(R) Starting Lineup boasts 55 puppies competing for the famed title of BISSELL(R) MVP (Most Valuable Puppy). Starting today, fans can point their paws to AnimalPlanet.com/PuppyBowl to view the roster of pups, watch the live Puppy Cam, and create a custom team in the second-annual Puppy Bowl Fantasy Game. Launching in mid-January, the all-new Puppy Bowl Pregame Show brings analyses and commentary to the big game from a team of very special sports correspondents. On game day, fantasy leaguers can keep track of their teams' stats via a live online leaderboard and are invited to vote in the Most Valuable Puppy poll, which goes live at kickoff at 3 PM (ET). Everyone voting directly determines which heavenly hound gets barking rights and the title of BISSELL(R) MVP during the first three airings of PUPPY BOWL XI! Plus, the Adoption Tails digital series returns at 5 PM (ET) on game day to follow home a selection of pups that participated in PUPPY BOWL XI.

But precious puppies aren't the only attraction at this year's big game! Dan Schachner returns as America's favorite rufferee to call the puppy penalties, tackles and touchdowns. Sideline reporter "Meep the Bird" is back on his perch to tweet live updates and commentary throughout the big game. Fans can follow @MeepTheBird to catch the latest news, puppy drama and locker room moments from inside the stadium. Viewers won't miss a minute of excitement with aerial shots of the field and an impressive air show from hamsters piloting the new TWIZZLERS biplane.

If you're not in the mood for Katy Perry but still want to see fireworks, Animal Planet's own "Katty Furry" takes center stage in an all-new edition of the BISSELL(R) KITTY HALF-TIME SHOW. But viewers better keep an eye on the feisty felines on the sidelines as they attempt to put on a show of their own leading to total kitty mayhem!

As always, fans can witness the cutest close-up shots with PUPPY BOWL's iconic water bowl cam, slow motion "Too Cute" cam and kiss cam. Outside the stadium, canine fans without tickets can claim their spots in the "barking lot" at a brand-new tailgate party. Animalist's Lil BUB returns to check in during the game and viewers can follow home some of their favorite players for an inside look on their journey to the field in Pup Close and Personal segments and adoption updates.

All of the puppies and kittens featured in PUPPY BOWL XI come from shelters and rescue groups across the United States and even Puerto Rico. This year's roster includes players from spcaLA (California), Green Dogs Unleashed (Virginia), Little Dog Rescue (Florida), Alamo Rescue Friends (Texas), Shih Tzu and Furbaby (Georgia) and Found A Hound Rescue (Illinois) among others. Animal Care & Control of NYC provide kittens for the BISSELL(R) KITTY HALF-TIME SHOW. Viewers interested in learning more about the organizations that participated in PUPPY BOWL XI can visit AnimalPlanet.com/PuppyBowl for more information.

PUPPY BOWL XI official sponsors include PEDIGREE(R) Food for Dogs, Subaru of America, Inc., BISSELL(R), TWIZZLERS, GEICO, and Paramount Animation and Nickelodeon Movies present "The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out Of Water."

PUPPY BOWL XI is produced for Animal Planet by Discovery Studios. For Discovery Studios, John Tomlin is the executive producer and Michael Masland is the vice president of development. For Animal Planet, Melinda Toporoff is the executive producer and Pat Dempsey is the associate producer.

Animal Planet

Animal Planet, a multi-media business unit of Discovery Communications, is the world's only entertainment brand that immerses viewers in the full range of life in the animal kingdom with rich, deep content via multiple platforms and offers animal lovers and pet owners access to a centralized online, television and mobile community for immersive, engaging, high-quality entertainment, information and enrichment. Animal Planet consists of the Animal Planet television network, available in more than 94 million homes in the US; online assets www.animalplanet.com, the ultimate online destination for all things animal; Animal Planet L!VE, the go-to digital destination for round-the-clock, unfiltered access to the animal kingdom; and other media platforms including a robust Video-on-Demand (VOD) service, and merchandising extensions.