1.48 Billion Wings, 16 Cents a Dollar: The Hidden Reality of Your Super Bowl Spread

Farmers and ranchers face rising costs and tight margins as Americans consume record amounts of food for the big game.

Published on Feb. 5, 2026

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As Americans prepare to consume a record 1.48 billion chicken wings and other snacks for Super Bowl 60, farmers and ranchers across the country are facing rising production costs and tight profit margins. While demand for agricultural products is high on Super Bowl Sunday, farmers only receive about 16 cents for every dollar spent on food, with the rest going to marketing, processing, and transportation costs.

Why it matters

The Super Bowl is one of the highest demand days for food in the U.S., highlighting the important role that farmers and ranchers play in feeding the nation. However, the financial strain on the farm economy, with many farmers projected to lose money per acre on crops like corn, wheat, and specialty produce, raises concerns about the long-term sustainability of American agriculture.

The details

According to Farm Bureau economist Faith Parum, Americans will consume a wide variety of foods for the Super Bowl, including chicken wings, cheese, chips, pizza, and guacamole, all of which come from farmers and ranchers across the 50 states and Puerto Rico. However, Parum notes that many of these farmers and ranchers are not making money, with corn and wheat farmers projected to lose money per acre, and similar financial pressures facing specialty crop growers like potato, tomato, and avocado producers.

  • Super Bowl 60 will be played on Sunday, February 9, 2026.

The players

Faith Parum

A Farm Bureau economist who provided insights into the financial challenges facing farmers and ranchers during the high-demand Super Bowl season.

National Chicken Council

An organization that projected Americans will consume 1.48 billion chicken wings on Super Bowl Sunday.

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What they’re saying

“We have chicken wings, cheese, chips, pizza, guacamole, and all different kinds of snacks that Americans will eat this Sunday. And those are coming from farmers and ranchers across all of our 50 states and Puerto Rico, and so that's really helping show the diversity and strength of US American ag.”

— Faith Parum, Farm Bureau economist (NAFB News Service)

“A lot of farmers and ranchers across the system and the country are not making money. We can think about corn and wheat farmers who are projected to lose money per acre, and that continues across specialty crop growers like potatoes, tomatoes, avocados– and so all of this is really showing the financial strain on the farm economy.”

— Faith Parum, Farm Bureau economist (NAFB News Service)

“They received about 15.9 cents for every dollar spent on food. The rest of that dollar spent went to things like marketing costs, processing, transportation, and so even though there's strong demand around the Super Bowl for U.S. ag products, not all of that is going to the farmers, and so financial pressure is continuing to build for farmers and ranchers across the country.”

— Faith Parum, Farm Bureau economist (NAFB News Service)

What’s next

The financial challenges facing farmers and ranchers will likely continue to be a topic of discussion in the lead-up to and aftermath of Super Bowl 60, as consumers and policymakers grapple with the realities of the modern food system.

The takeaway

While Americans indulge in a record-breaking amount of food for the Super Bowl, the farmers and ranchers who produce that food are facing significant financial pressures, with many projected to lose money on their crops. This highlights the need to address the imbalance between consumer demand and farmer profitability in order to ensure the long-term sustainability of American agriculture.