'Puppy Bowl XVIII' to feature 118 adoptable dogs

Jan. 13 (UPI) -- Puppy Bowl will return this year with over 100 new adoptable dogs.

Discovery+ and Animal Planet, which air the special, said in a press release Wednesday that Puppy Bowl XVIII will feature 67 shelter dogs and 33 rescue dogs from 33 states.

The pups will be assigned to either Team Ruff or Team Fluff, and will chase, fetch, guard, heel and sprint on a special field.

The Puppy Bowl XVIII pre-game show will begin at 1 p.m. EST on Discovery+ and Animal Planet. The show will feature Puppy Bowl sportscasters Rodt Weiler, Sheena Inu and James Hound as they "interview" coaches and players and share results from DNA tests on the dogs.

Sesame Street character Elmo and his rescue dog, Tango, will later join the broadcast for the Puppy Bowl XIII coin toss. Elmo and Tango will be cheering on Wasabi, a Chihuahua/Cocker Spaniel mix from The Sato Project.

In addition, Dan Schachner will return as "ruff-eree" for the game, with Steve Levy and Taylor Rooks as commentators.

This year's event will also feature puppy cheerleaders and "Adoptable Pup" segments that shine a spotlight on adoptable animals.

Puppy Bowl XVIII will air Feb. 13 at 2 p.m. EST during Super Bowl XVIII.