The cost of hosting a Super Bowl LVIII watch party: Where wings, beer and soda prices stand

Good news for football fans: certain parts of your Super Bowl spread should be more affordable this year. 

Prices for party favorites like chicken wings have dropped thanks in part to easing supply chain disruptions, according to Michael Swanson, Wells Fargo’s Chief Agricultural Economist.

“Three years ago, we just couldn't get people in the factories to do things, and now people are back working full-time without any problems,” Swanson told USA TODAY. “And so, all those things that were holding us back, it just kind of disappeared.”

With grocery prices up roughly 20% from where they were three years ago, throwing a watch party may still feel expensive. But there are ways to cut costs. Here are some foods that are more affordable this year, and which ones may be worth giving a pass.

The good news: prices for wings, shrimp are down

Wings: Fresh wings are averaging $3.26 per pound, down 5% from January 2023, while frozen wings are averaging $3.17 per pound, down 11%. 

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Prices "were just sky high” two years ago, Swanson said. But he said "a couple of great corn crops" have helped bring down the cost of feed and lowered chicken prices.   

Shrimp: Shrimp have been averaging $8.84 per pound, down 6.4% from early January 2023.

Soda: Soft drinks in a 2-liter bottle averaged $2.11 in December, down 0.8% from the year prior.  

Where football fans will need to pay up

Beef: Sirloin steak was averaging $9.35 per pound in early January, up 2.3% from last year. The four-week average for ground beef prices in early January has been as high as $4.25 per pound, up nearly 12%. This is largely due to the drought throughout the Southwestern U.S. affecting beef production.  

“It’s going to take a couple more years to get that beef burger back to where it was before,” Swanson said.  

Chips and dip: Tortilla chips were up 6% between December 2022 and December 2023. Salsa and guacamole prices were up 3% and 1% percent, respectively, in that same time span. Potato chips are up 5% due to a spike in labor and packaging costs. 

One way to save is to opt for generic brands. Swanson suggests looking for local brands to save money since there’s "more competition there.” 

“There's a little bit of a premium for a name this year,” he added. 

Beer: Beer prices were up 0.7% at the end of December, averaging $1.75 per pint. 

Soda in a can: Despite 2-liter prices falling, 12-oz cans went up 4.8% between December 2022 and December 2023 due to the cost of aluminum and consumer demand. 

“People are paying a huge premium for the convenience of single-serve cans,” Swanson said.