Super Bowl Sunday — America's Second Biggest Food Holiday

On February 9, 2025, over 200 million Americans will tune in to see defending champions Kansas City Chiefs take on the Philadelphia Eagles in the National Football League's (NFL) championship game. With the Chiefs aiming for a historic third consecutive title, Super Bowl LIX promises to be thrilling. But Super Bowl Sunday is about more than football.

For some, the main draw is the halftime show, headlined this year by American rapper and hip-hop artist Kendrick Lamar. Others tune in for the creative commercials made just for the occasion. Then there are Taylor Swift fans hoping to catch a glimpse of her cheering for the Chiefs. For many, though, Super Bowl Sunday is simply an excuse to get together with friends and indulge in foods they would otherwise avoid. It is no wonder the day marks one of the biggest food consumption days in the US after Thanksgiving!

The National Retail Federation (NRF) estimates that every football fan will spend about $91.58 on Super Bowl Sunday in 2025. This will total to a staggering $18.6 billion! More than 80 percent of that will go toward buying food and drinks.

The feasting will begin long before either team takes the field in New Orleans and last long after a champion is crowned. This year, Americans are expected to eat 107 million pounds of snacks before kickoff. Tortilla chips, potato chips, and pretzels top the list of favorites.

Once the game begins, partygoers will turn to heartier fare like pizza. Over the last few years, about 12.5 million pizza pies have been consumed on Super Bowl Sunday. Chicken wings are another fan favorite. The National Chicken Council estimates that Americans will eat 1.47 billion wings on February 9. This is enough to circle the Earth three times! Other game-day staples include ribs, bacon, hamburgers, foot-long subs, and hot dogs. The food will be washed down with millions of gallons of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks.

The excessive eating and drinking takes a toll. Every year, more than 16 million Americans skip work on the Monday after the Super Bowl. This results in about $6.5 billion in lost productivity. There have been over two dozen petitions to make what is often called "Super Sick Monday" a national holiday. Unfortunately, none have succeeded thus far.

Go Chiefs! Go Eagles!

Resources: CNN.com, NRF.com, CNBC.com