August 26 is set to become ESPN Dog Day with a full evening of dog-related programming that includes competitions and a showing of the classic Disney film, Turner & Hooch!
What’s Happening:
- Celebrating International Dog Day, ESPN will “raise the woof” with ESPN Dog Day, a full evening of dog-related programming on Thursday, August 26, including dog action sports and an airing of the classic Disney film (under the Touchstone banner) Turner & Hooch, starring Tom Hanks.
- A half-hour Disney-themed American Kennel Club (AKC) Meet the Breeds will kick off the evening at 6:30 p.m. ET on the ESPN App, followed at 7 p.m. on ESPN2 with ESPN Bark in the Park. The two-hour program will feature dogs competing in spectator-friendly sports including Agility, Diving Dogs, Flyball and Weave Pole.
- Continuing on ESPN2, Turner & Hooch will air at 9 p.m. followed at 11 p.m. by the 2020 AKC National Championship event from Orlando, Fla.
- The ESPN Dog Day lineup (ET):
- 6:30 p.m. – ESPN App
- AKC Meet the Breeds
- An array of dog breeds with a Disney theme will be introduced to viewers. Highlighted will be familiar breeds from Disney films including the Cocker Spaniel, Dogue de Bordeaux and Dalmatian, among others.
- AKC Meet the Breeds
- 7 p.m. – ESPN2
- ESPN Bark in the Park
- A new event for ESPN Dog Day, ESPN Bark in the Park will feature more than 90 dogs competing in dog action sports including Agility, Flyball, Diving Dogs and a new Weave Pole Challenge. ESPN SportsCenter anchor Phil Murphy is host of the two-hour telecast, with expert analysis from AKC Executive Secretary Gina DiNardo along with Dr. Terrence Ferguson and Dr. Vernard Hodges from Nat Geo Wild’s Critter Fixers. The event originates from Dunkin Donuts Park in Hartford, Ct., home of the Hartford Yard Goats minor league baseball team.
- ESPN Bark in the Park
- 9 p.m. – ESPN2
- Disney’s Turner & Hooch (1989)
- Scott Turner (Tom Hanks), a compulsively neat detective, finds his tidy world goes to the dogs when he’s forced to team up with a drooling slob of a junkyard dog named Hooch. Not exactly man’s best friend, Hooch turns Scott’s life upside down, wrecking his home, career and budding romance. It’s a nonstop test of wills between this mismatched duo that will leave viewers laughing their tails off.
- Disney’s Turner & Hooch (1989)
- 11 p.m. – ESPN2
- 2020 AKC National Championship
- The largest dog show in the country concludes with group competitions and Best in Show from Orlando, Florida.
- 2020 AKC National Championship
- 6:30 p.m. – ESPN App
Sign up for Disney+ or the Disney Streaming Bundle (Disney+, ESPN+, and ad-supported Hulu) now