Americans expected to consume 1.47 billion wings during Super Bowl this year.
January 31, 2025
The price of a Super Bowl staple – chicken wings – is expected to rise slightly as fans gear up for Super Bowl LIX, according to Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service expert Dr. David Anderson.
Over recent decades, chicken wings, which include flats and drumettes, have become a favorite snack for sports fans, with demand peaking around major sporting events, Texas A&M AgriLife communications specialist Adam Russell reported.
Anderson, AgriLife Extension economist in the Texas A&M Department of Agricultural Economics, Bryan-College Station, said the love for wings isn’t expected to diminish any time soon.
“The Super Bowl has always driven demand for wings, and that is not going to change,” Anderson said. “But wings have also become an everyday menu item, which means we are seeing other spikes throughout the year likely based on supply and demand.”
The National Chicken Council (NCC) estimates that 1.47 billion chicken wings will be consumed around the Feb. 9 Super Bowl football game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles. That’s up 1.5% from last year’s game, representing about 20 million more wings, according to the NCC annual “Chicken Wing Report.” To put things in perspective, if laid end to end, those 1.47 billion wings would circle the Earth more than three times.
Calling the combination of football and chicken wings a “love story,” NCC also noted strong sales for wings across the U.S. during the playoff season, gaining 12% for the four weeks ending Jan. 19, 2025, compared with the same 2024 period.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture, in its weekly chicken report for the week ended Jan. 31, showed a slight uptick in chicken wing prices, reaching $1.9145/lb.
The increased popularity for wings has transformed what was once an afterthought cut of meat into one of the most sought-after items on the menu during sporting events, according to the Texas A&M AgriLife news release.
“Wings were a poultry cut that used to be practically worthless,” Anderson said. “Then someone tossed them in some buffalo sauce and dipped them in blue cheese or ranch dressing. Now, restaurants across the country want to capitalize on that popularity.”
This year, fans can expect to pay slightly more per pound for wings than they did last year, but wholesale prices are much lower than just six months ago, Anderson said. Wholesale prices are $1.91/lb., up 8.3% compared to $1.76 for the same week last year – but still well below the $2.65 price in June 2024.
While ongoing outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza have significantly decreased the nation’s laying hen flock for egg production, there has been little impact on broilers for meat production, including chicken wings, as their shorter production cycle reduces their exposure risks.
Anderson noted that the higher prices leading up to the Super Bowl are related solely to the sky-high demand going into gameday, versus the fluctuations tied to production levels, demand and such factors as feed prices throughout the rest of the year. He added that wing production is inherently limited by animal physiology as there are only two flats and two drumettes per chicken.
The rise of the wing will always be rooted in sports, Anderson said. “Wings’ place in popular culture began with restaurants and bars catering to sports fans. A big part of that still holds true today, and there is nothing bigger in sports than the Super Bowl,” he said.
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