The Super Bowl may be the most competitive annual sporting event both on and off the field. It is entertaining to watch an elite class of athletes face-off in an enormous arena in front of thousands of screaming fans. The entire event revolves around numbers that include the game’s final score, the number of yards passed by the all-star quarterback, and, you’ve got it, chicken wing sales.
Approximately 23% of people watching the big game will order chicken wings. In 2012, Americans purchased roughly around 1.25 billion portions, (more than 100 million pounds of meat and bones) for the big game. The wholesale price per pound of wings increases drastically in January because of Super Bowl Weekend. During the week of January 16-20, 2012, the wholesale price was $1.96 per pound, posing a 50% increase from July, 2011.
This year, wings sales are predicted to be about 1.23 billion orders, down roughly 1% from last year since the wholesale price has climbed yet again to $2.11 per pound up 14% from last year.
Pizza Hut, another Super Bowl favorite, sold over 2 million pizzas, and Domino’s Pizza delivery drivers drove a total of more than 4 million miles on game day last year. Also popular (among adults) is beer. This year, the total might rise to 50 million cases.
With 113 million viewers and 53.3 million households watching the game on NBC alone, this is by far the most-watched television program in America. Because so many people tune in at one time, companies spend millions to market their products. The average cost for a 30-second ad slot this year is $3.8 million, up $300,000 from last year’s average. Companies that advertise year after year include Pepsi Co., Chevrolet, Bud Light, and Coca Cola.
The show at half-time is a highlight. It takes six miutes for a crew of 600 people to erect a stage on the field for leading performing artists, who, over the years have included Bruce Springsteen, KISS, Michael Jackson, Paul McCartney, Madonna, the Rolling Stones, and Destiny’s Child. Beyoncé is the 2013 chosen celebrity.
As numbers go, as of January 22, 2013, on Ticketmaster, the lowest-priced ticket for sale was $2,387, and the highest-priced pass was $13,120.
So, while you’re watching the Baltimore Ravens compete against the San Francisco 49ers and digging in to some wings, remember the Super Bowl is more than just a game.
Written by Oliver Kornberg’16
Graphic by Connie Zhang’14 and Alex LiChen’16
