Super Bowl wing consumption seen rising to 1.48 billion
NCC cites higher playoff demand and lower retail prices
29 January 2026
1 minute read
By: Americans are expected to eat about 1.48 billion chicken wings while watching the Super Bowl, according to the National Chicken Council’s annual Chicken Wing Report.
The estimate is about 10 million wings higher than last year’s game, the council said.
“I think Bradley Cooper is wrong: Football is for food,” said NCC spokesperson Tom Super. “Especially when it comes to the Super Bowl, where wings rule the roost. For football fans looking to add protein to their spreads at an affordable price, wings are king of Super Bowl menus.”
Retail data show increased wing sales during the NFL playoffs. Over the most recent four-week period, chicken wing unit sales rose 19.8% year over year nationwide, while dollar sales increased 11.4%, according to industry data cited by the council.
In the Seattle market, wing sales during the playoff period rose 8.6% in dollars, 26.3% in units and 22.2% in volume. In the Boston market, sales increased 4.4% in dollars, 17.1% in units and 10.9% in volume.
Among cities represented in the NFC and AFC championship games, consumers in Los Angeles ordered wings most frequently, averaging four orders per person per year, the council said.
Retail prices for fresh chicken wings were down 2.8% from a year earlier, with a four-week moving average price of $3.47 per pound, according to Wells Fargo’s Super Bowl Food Report and data from Circana. US broiler production increased 2.2% in 2025, supported by lower feed costs, the report said.
Cold storage inventories of chicken wings totaled 57 million pounds at the end of November, the lowest November level in more than a decade outside of 2020, according to the US Department of Agriculture. The council said the low inventory levels indicate food retailers and restaurants began stocking up ahead of the Super Bowl.
“The bottom line… wings will be available in plenty, they’ll be affordable, and they’ll be delicious,” Super added.
