Huge sporting events are a time of celebration, and millions of people across the U. S. and beyond tune in to watch the Super Bowl, while 83,000 fans fill the stadium for the live spectacle. But beneath the fun and games is a harsh truth: people have had to go through unbearable pain just to get food on the table.
The U. S. National Chicken Council announced that a shocking 1. 47 billion chicken wings1 were consumed over the weekend of the Super Bowl. That number is hard to understand, but what’s even harder to understand is the pain that goes along with it. The chickens who died for these sports snacks came from atrocious conditions on factory farms.
Chickens raised for meat, otherwise known broiler chickens, are almost exclusively factory farmed. They have been genetically manipulated to grow at unnaturally fast rates, reaching their full slaughter weight in as little as 32 days. At barely over a month old, they are still just babies.
It can be argued that no farmed animal suffers more than chickens. They are crammed into vast sheds, packed tens of thousands at a time, up to 22 chickens per square meter. Their rapid growth causes severe health issues. Their big muscles, especially their breasts, put a lot of stress on their legs, which can cause painful deformities, being unable to walk, and even heart failure. Many of these birds struggle to stand, let alone move.
Conditions on these farms are miserable and unsanitary. The barns remain uncleaned for the entirety of the birds’ short lives, leading to a build-up of waste and ammonia. This causes severe eye, respiratory, and skin diseases, leaving many chickens with painful burns on their feet from standing in their own waste.
Chickens are intelligent and social animals that naturally forage, dust-bathe, and perch. But in the industrial farming system, they are deprived of every single natural behavior, leaving them in a state of frustration, boredom, and distress.
No other farmed animal species has been subjected to such extreme genetic manipulation, overcrowding, and suffering as broiler chickens. Their short, painful lives are reduced to a single purpose: to meet unsustainable and downright unnecessary consumption demands.
1Americans to Eat 1.47 Billion Chicken Wings for Super Bowl LIX. National Chicken Council. 2024 [accessed 2025 Feb 10] https://www.nationalchickencouncil.org/americans-to-eat-1-47-billion-chicken-wings-for-super-bowl-lix/
The most chicken wings are eaten in the United States on Super Bowl Sunday, which is the biggest day of the year. It’s become an essential part of the Super Bowl experience for Americans to eat chicken wings while they watch the game. But how many chicken wings are sold on Super Bowl Sunday every year? The number is mind-boggling.
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% of the wings sold were billions, which is a new record. This is up from the 20142% billion wings sold last year in 202024. Super Bowl chicken wing sales have been steadily rising by about 2% every year, as the appetizer becomes more and more a part of Super Bowl Sunday. But this year’s 1. The 5% jump was especially important and shows how popular wings have become for big games.
Breaking Down the Numbers
So where exactly do all of these wings go on Super Bowl Sunday? Here’s a breakdown:
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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!
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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.
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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.
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To supply 1. 47 billion wing, the chicken farming business needs to raise about 735 million chickens. Over 500 million chickens are raised just to meet the demand for this one Sunday.
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Buffalo, barbecue, honey mustard, and chili lime are some of the most popular wing flavors for the big game. Over 27 million pounds of sauce will be eaten in the US on Super Bowl Sunday, no matter what kind you pick.
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:
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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.
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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.
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Price – Wings are reasonably priced, especially when buying in bulk. This makes them the perfect appetizer for large Super Bowl gatherings on a budget.
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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.
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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:
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Wing production begins increasing 30% week-over-week starting in early-January.
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By the week before Super Bowl Sunday, wing production has doubled from its normal levels.
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Grocery stores and restaurants place their bulk wing orders about 2 weeks prior to the Super Bowl.
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Many restaurants hire additional cooks specially for Super Bowl Sunday to handle the extra wing orders.
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Additional storage space is reserved to stockpile the millions of frozen wings until they are fried and sauced on game day.
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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.
An excessive level of overconsumption
The 1. 47 billion chicken wings eaten over Super Bowl weekend cost the lives of 735 million individual chickens. This level of consumption is shocking. Picture this: these chicken wings would reach a third of the way to the moon if they were laid end to end.
The loss of millions of innocent lives is unnecessary and heartbreaking.
How Many Chicken Wings Are Consumed On Super Bowl Sunday? – The Football Xpert
FAQ
How many chicken wings are sold on the Super Bowl?
The U. S. National Chicken Council announced that a shocking 1. 47 billion chicken wings1 were consumed over the weekend of the Super Bowl. Feb 7, 2025.
What food is sold the most in the Super Bowl?
List Of Super Bowl Food Facts1 In 7 Americans Order Take Out. Right after Thanksgiving, Super Bowl Sunday is the second most popular day to order take out. 1. 25 Billion Chicken Wings Are Eaten. 19. 4 Million Pounds Of Chips Are Purchased. 325. 5 Million Gallons Of Beer Are Consumed.
What is the most consumed food on Super Bowl Sunday?
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.
What is the #1 food sold at restaurants on Super Bowl Sunday?
Chicken wings ‘rule the roost’ “Matthew McConaughey was right: Football is for food,” NCC spokesperson Tom Super said in a new release. “There will be pizza, guacamole, chips, and dips, but chicken wings are the best food at the Super Bowl.” “ In truth, 1. 47 billion chicken wings is a lot wings.