In its 2024 wing report, the National Chicken Council estimates that 1.45 billion chicken wings will be consumed during the Super Bowl this weekend.
According to the report, 1.45 billion wings is enough to give four of them to each man, woman and child in the United States. It’s also enough to fill every seat in all 30 NFL stadiums with 693 wings.
How does the wing count compare to previous years?
The estimated wing consumption amount for this year is not much different from the one last year. The National Chicken Council’s 2023 report also estimated 1.45 billion wings would be consumed — which was then a record-breaking amount.
The 2022 report estimated 1.42 billion chicken wings would be consumed during that year’s Super Bowl.
What the council had to say
Council spokesman Tom Super shared in the new report, “Football is great. Wings are great. But they’re even better together.”
He humorously added, “One of these days, Buffalo will get back to the Big Game which would give wing consumption a nice boost.”
Why do Americans eat chicken wings during the Super Bowl?
Deep-fried chicken wings, according to the council, have long been a staple in Southern cooking. One common origin story for chicken wings refers to the co-owner of Anchor Bar in Buffalo, New York: Teressa Bellissimo.
Per The Buffalo History Museum, in 1964, Bellissimo cut and cooked leftover wings for her son and his friends as a late-night snack. She decided to douse and toss the wings with a peppery hot sauce, and the finished product was well-received. As the story goes, the next day, the owners put the “Buffalo wings” onto the Anchor Bar menu.
Over the course of the 1960s and 1970s, chicken wings gradually grew in popularity and became an option on menus across the country. However, during the 1980s, U.S. consumers passed on wings in favor of skinless, boneless chicken breast, per the council.
But wings were an inexpensive byproduct, so they were a cheaper option to be served in bars and restaurants. Once satellite TVs appeared in eateries, according to Mental Floss, wings became a cheaper, yet quality option to serve to patrons while they watched multiple hours of sports.
Because of its inexpensiveness and sharing ability for large groups, wings quickly intertwined with football and, over time, became a nationwide phenomenon especially beloved on Super Bowl weekend, per the council.
Why are blue cheese and celery served with wings?
Mental Floss shared that the sides that typically come with wings also trace back to Bellissimo.
When she finished plating the wings, she added on some blue cheese dressing and some celery sticks that were, reportedly, left over from making an antipasto salad.
The pairings stuck, since crunchy, semi-hydrating celery and heat-mitigating blue cheese paired nicely with the salty, spicy wings.
FAQs
In its 2024 wing report, the National Chicken Council estimates that 1.45 billion chicken wings will be consumed during the Super Bowl this weekend. According to the report, 1.45 billion wings is enough to give four of them to each man, woman and child in the United States.
How many chicken wings were eaten during the Super Bowl 2024? ›
Each year, the National Chicken Council announces how many chicken wings will be consumed during the Super Bowl through its annual Chicken Wing Report. In 2024: 1.45 billion (yes, with a B) wings will be consumed while professional athletes run up and down the field and Swifties enjoy glimpses of Taylor in the stands.
How many wings do Americans eat during the Super Bowl? ›
Americans to eat 1.45 billion chicken wings during Super Bowl - Poultry Network.
How much chicken is consumed during the Super Bowl? ›
According to some estimates, 1.25 billion dollars' worth of chicken wings are consumed on Super Bowl Sunday, which would equate to 162.5 million pounds of chicken on that day alone. Rather depressingly, this would account for around 500 million chickens being slaughtered.
How many chicken wings were eaten on the biggest football game of the year? ›
1.45 billion wings is enough for every man, woman and child in the United States to eat four wings each.
How many people attended the Super Bowl 2024? ›
Due to the seating capacity of Allegiant Stadium, the game's sellout attendance of 61,629 was the smallest crowd in Super Bowl history outside of Super Bowl LV, which was played during the COVID-19 pandemic.
What do Americans eat at the Super Bowl? ›
The three most popular Super Bowl dishes people order are pizza, chicken wings, and chips with dips.
How many chicken wings does the average American eat? ›
Americans love chicken wings. The National Chicken Council reports that Americans eat 24 wings a month, 290 wings a year, and more than 17,000 wings in their lifetime.
Why do people eat wings during the Super Bowl? ›
So what's the link to football? The buffalo chicken wing got lots of coverage during the early 1990s when the Buffalo Bills played in the SuperBowl for four consecutive years. Today, chicken wings are a staple of the SuperBowl experience.
How many chicken wings per chicken? ›
Every chicken has only two wings. So at least 710 million chickens will have to endure horrific suffering at factory farms before ending up on grocery shelves or restaurant menus.
Don't Be Chicken
Chicken wings are the food of choice. According to the National Chicken Council — yes, there is a National Chicken Council — Americans consume more than 100 million pounds of chicken wings on Super Bowl Sunday alone. For those playing along at home, that's more than 1.25 BILLION individual wings.
Where is the Super Bowl 2024? ›
Halftime Performer: Usher
Super Bowl LVIII will be played at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, NV on Sunday, February 11, 2024. Download the NFL OnePass app to stay up to date on all official Super Bowl events. Things will look a little different at Allegiant Stadium for Super Bowl LVIII!
How much food is wasted during Super Bowl? ›
Every year, over 140,000 pounds of surplus Super Bowl food get trashed, so this recovery project is as much about awareness as anything.
How many chicken wings do Americans eat at Super Bowl? ›
According to the report, 1.45 billion wings is enough to give four of them to each man, woman and child in the United States. It's also enough to fill every seat in all 30 NFL stadiums with 693 wings.
How many wings are made on Super Bowl? ›
Separately: Nearly 1.5 billion wings will be consumed on Super Bowl Sunday in the U.S., according to the National Chicken Council. By the numbers: The amount of wings eaten during the big game is enough to feed every person in America four each and enough to place 693 wings on every seat in all 30 NFL stadiums.
How much pizza is eaten on Super Bowl Sunday? ›
The American Pizza Community (yes, it's a thing) said that over the last few years, about 12.5 million pizzas are ordered, baked, and delivered to football fanatics on Super Bowl Sunday.
Who has the most Super Bowl wings? ›
Which teams have the most Super Bowl wins? The New England Patriots and the Pittsburgh Steelers are both tied for the most Super Bowl wins with six each. The Patriots also have the most Super Bowl appearances in history with 11, having lost the title game five times.
How many pizzas are eaten on Super Bowl Sunday? ›
The American Pizza Community (yes, it's a thing) said that over the last few years, about 12.5 million pizzas are ordered, baked, and delivered to football fanatics on Super Bowl Sunday.
What is the most expensive Super Bowl commercial ever? ›
The most expensive Super Bowl commercial ever was a tie between the Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant commercials during the 2020 Super Bowl. They were both 90 seconds long and cost $16.8 million each. However, Budweiser has purchased the most Super Bowl commercials in total.
