How Many Chicken Wings Are Sold on Super Bowl Sunday? An Astounding Number

Super Bowl Sunday is the biggest day of the year for chicken wing consumption in the United States. Americans absolutely love eating chicken wings while watching the big game – it’s become a quintessential part of the Super Bowl experience. But just how many chicken wings are actually sold on Super Bowl Sunday each year? The number is simply astonishing.

The Jaw-Dropping Total

According to data from the National Chicken Council a total of 1.47 billion chicken wings were sold for Super Bowl Sunday 2025. That’s billion with a B! To put that into perspective if you laid out all of those chicken wings end to end, they would stretch from Candlestick Park Stadium in San Francisco to the International Space Station…and back…three times!

This year’s total of 1.47 billion wings sold marked a new record, up 15% from the 142 billion wings sold last year in 2024. Super Bowl chicken wing sales have been steadily increasing by around 2% each year, as the appetizer becomes more and more ingrained into the very fabric of Super Bowl Sunday. But this year’s 1.5% jump was especially significant and highlights just how popular wings have become for the big game.

Breaking Down the Numbers

So where exactly do all of these wings go on Super Bowl Sunday? Here’s a breakdown:

• There are around 125 million Americans that tune into the Super Bowl each year. With 1.47 billion wings sold, that works out to each football fan consuming approximately 11-12 wings on average during the game. Not a bad haul!

• Chicken wing sales for Super Bowl Sunday make up about 7% of all chicken wings sold in the US. for the entire year The demand for that single day is massive.

• Approximately 100 million pounds of wings are ordered specifically by bars and restaurants leading up to the Super Bowl each year. That’s in addition to all those purchased at grocery stores for home parties.

• To supply 1.47 billion wings, the chicken farming industry must raise around 735 million chickens. So over half a billion chickens are grown specifically to meet the demand for this one Sunday.

• Popular wing flavors for the big game include Buffalo, barbecue, honey mustard, and chili lime. No matter what sauce you choose, Americans will consume over 27 million pounds of it on Super Bowl Sunday!

Why We Love Wings for the Super Bowl

It’s clear that Americans absolutely feast on chicken wings for the Super Bowl, but why have they become such a staple appetizer for the big game? There are several factors that explain the wings phenomenon:

• Convenience – Wings are the ultimate finger food. They can be eaten while holding a beer in the other hand and require minimal time away from watching the game.

• Variety – With so many sauce flavors to choose from, there’s a wing option for every palate. You can never get bored eating wings during a 3+ hour football game.

• Price – Wings are reasonably priced, especially when buying in bulk. This makes them the perfect appetizer for large Super Bowl gatherings on a budget.

• Game Day Tradition – Eating wings on Super Bowl Sunday has become ingrained as tradition over the past 50 years. Many fans simply can’t imagine the big game without a platter of wings.

• Origins – Buffalo, NY is credited with inventing Buffalo wings back in the 1960s. Wing consumption is highest in cities with teams participating in the Super Bowl.

Keeping Up With Demand

In order to keep up with the astronomical demand for Super Bowl Sunday, chicken wing suppliers need to plan well in advance. Here’s a look at how they prepare for the big day:

• Wing production begins increasing 30% week-over-week starting in early-January.

• By the week before Super Bowl Sunday, wing production has doubled from its normal levels.

• Grocery stores and restaurants place their bulk wing orders about 2 weeks prior to the Super Bowl.

• Many restaurants hire additional cooks specially for Super Bowl Sunday to handle the extra wing orders.

• Additional storage space is reserved to stockpile the millions of frozen wings until they are fried and sauced on game day.

• After the Super Bowl, wing production dramatically decreases for a few weeks to offset the pre-game surge.

Satisfying America’s Insatiable Appetite

Super Bowl Sunday has essentially become a national chicken wing holiday over the past half century. Americans simply can’t get enough of the delicious, convenient, and affordable appetizer while watching the big game. With demand increasing each and every year, chicken wing producers have their work cut out for them to satisfy the country’s seemingly insatiable appetite for Super Bowl wings. But so far, they have been up to the challenge, churning out enough wings to circle the globe multiple times! One thing is for sure, chicken wings will continue to be devoured by the billions on Super Bowl Sunday for decades to come.