Current Events in January 2026

• Hosting a Super Bowl party can cost more than $10 extra per guest depending on your city, with West Coast and coastal metros topping the list.

• Classic game-day staples like wings, pizza, and snacks make up the largest share of hosting costs, even before drinks and utilities are factored in.

• Planning ahead, watching for Super Bowl deals, and keeping food and drink options simple can help hosts save meaningful money without sacrificing the fun.

Hosting a Super Bowl party feels simple enough: invite a few friends, order some wings, stock the fridge, and turn on the TV. But depending on where you live, that low-key night at home could quietly turn into a pricey event.

A new analysis from The Action Network found that the cost of hosting a Super Bowl watch party can vary dramatically from city to city — even when the guest list and menu stay the same. From food and drinks to utilities and everyday party supplies, local prices add up fast, and some hosts may be spending far more than they expect just to keep everyone fed and comfortable through the final whistle.

The findings highlight a clear regional divide — and offer a reality check for anyone planning to host this year’s big game.

How the costs were calculated

To understand how much location affects the price of hosting, The Action Network calculated average Super Bowl party costs on a per-guest basis and then scaled those numbers to a typical 10-person gathering. 

The analysis broke hosting costs into four main categories:

• Food: Classic game-day staples like wings, pizza, chicken bites, mozzarella sticks, chips, and dip, averaged per guest

• Drinks: One beer and one soft drink per person

• Other groceries: Paper goods, condiments, ice, desserts, and basic cleaning supplies

• Shared utilities: Electricity used for TVs, lighting, and small kitchen appliances during the game

Using average local prices for each category, Action Network estimated the total cost of hosting a Super Bowl party across major U.S. cities. Those per-guest costs were then scaled to a 10-person watch party to allow for easy, apples-to-apples comparisons nationwide.

The rankings

Based on that work, here’s what the Action Network found were the most expensive cities to host Super Bowl parties this year: 

1. Seattle: $39.15/guest

2. Sacramento: $38.97/guest

3. San Francisco: $38.92/guest

4. Los Angeles: $38.81/guest

5. San Jose: $38.80/guest

6. Long Beach: $38.60/guest

7. San Diego: $38.29/guest

8. New York City: $37.65/guest

9. Miami: $37.64/guest

10. Washington D.C.: $36.58/guest 

On the other hand, these are the 10 cities where it’s cheapest to host a Super Bowl Party: 

1. Green Bay, WI: $26.24/guest

2. Wichita, KS: $29.38/guest

3. Milwaukee, WI: $29.69/guest

4. Omaha, NE: $30.54/guest

5. Virginia Beach, VA: $30.59/guest

6. Detroit, MI: $30.64/guest

7. Louisville, KY: $31.11/guest

8. Cleveland, OH: $31.50

9. Indianapolis, IN: $31.74

10. Cincinnati, OH: $31.77

How to save on Super Bowl parties

If you’re prepping for a house full of guests for Super Bowl, Gautham Marthandan, data expert and Senior Digital PR Specialist at The Action Network, shared his best insights to help consumers keep costs low: 

• Poll your guests: Ask guests ahead of time what they actually want to eat and drink, rather than overbuying just to cover every option. That helps avoid spending money on items that don’t end up getting eaten.

• Watch deals: Many pizza and restaurant chains offer Super Bowl–related discounts, bundle deals, or voucher codes, especially for larger orders. Taking advantage of those promotions can meaningfully reduce costs when ordering food in bulk. In some cases, spreading orders across multiple visits or orders may also unlock loyalty rewards or discounts, making it worth checking before placing a single large order.

• Keep it simple: Limiting premium alcohol options and offering a basic mix of beer and non-alcoholic beverages helps control costs without taking away from the experience. For food, simple, easy-to-serve options that can be prepped ahead of time tend to be more affordable and less wasteful. Ordering food late, especially pizza on Super Bowl Sunday, can also limit options and increase costs.

• Scale back on decor: Overly themed or disposable decorations tend to be pricey and are often used only once. Simple tableware, items you already own, or subtle team colors usually do the job without extra spending.

• Producer prices rose faster at year’s end: The Producer Price Index (PPI) for final demand increased 0.5% in December, following gains of 0.2% in November and 0.1% in October. On an annual basis, producer prices were up 3.0% in 2025, after rising 3.5% in 2024.

• Service-sector costs drove the increase: December’s advance was fueled by a 0.7% jump in prices for final demand services, while prices for final demand goods were flat.

• Underlying inflation pressures persisted: Prices excluding food, energy, and trade services climbed 0.4% for the eighth straight month, signaling continued momentum in core producer inflation.

Inflation-weary consumers might not find immediate relief. The December Producer Price Index – a measure of costs at the wholesale level – suggests that inflation pressures remain embedded in the U.S. economy, particularly within the service sector, even as some relief continues to come from energy and food prices.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports producer prices for final demand climbed 0.5% in December, marking the fastest monthly increase since midyear and capping a steady acceleration over the final quarter. While the annual increase in 2025 slowed to 3.0% from 3.5% in 2024, the month-to-month data point to renewed momentum that could complicate the inflation outlook as 2026 begins.

Higher services costs

A key takeaway from the report is where the price pressures are coming from. Services accounted for virtually all of December’s increase, with prices rising 0.7%, the largest monthly gain since July. 

About two-thirds of that increase was driven by higher trade service margins, which reflect the markups wholesalers and retailers receive. In particular, machinery and equipment wholesaling margins surged 4.5%, making it one of the single biggest contributors to the overall rise.

Outside of trade services, prices for transportation and warehousing services increased 0.5%, while other services excluding trade, transportation, and warehousing rose 0.3%. Increases were also recorded for guestroom rentals, airline passenger services, portfolio management, and several retail categories tied to food, alcohol, and health-related goods. These broad-based gains suggest businesses continue to pass higher costs through the supply chain.

Product prices remained flat

By contrast, prices for final demand goods were unchanged in December, masking sharp divergences beneath the surface. Core goods prices excluding food and energy rose 0.4%, but that increase was offset by falling food and energy prices. Energy prices dropped 1.4%, led by a steep 14.6% decline in diesel fuel, while food prices slipped 0.3%. Gasoline, jet fuel, beef, and steel scrap also became cheaper, offering some counterweight to service-driven inflation.

Perhaps most telling for the inflation outlook is the continued rise in prices excluding food, energy, and trade services. This closely-watched core measure increased 0.4% in December and rose 3.5% over the year, nearly matching 2024’s pace. 

Eight consecutive monthly increases suggest that underlying inflation pressures have yet to meaningfully cool at the producer level.

For consumers, persistent increases in service-sector and core producer prices raise the risk that inflation remains sticky in the months ahead. While falling energy costs may continue to provide short-term relief, the December PPI report indicates that many businesses are still facing — and passing along — higher costs, a dynamic that could keep overall inflation elevated as the new year unfolds.

• A proposed class action lawsuit claims Costco’s rotisserie chicken contains undisclosed or misleadingly labeled preservatives.

• Plaintiffs allege shoppers believed the popular chicken was more natural than it actually is.

• Costco says its labeling complies with food safety and disclosure laws.

A new class action lawsuit is challenging the ingredients in one of Costco’s most popular food items, alleging that the retailer misled shoppers about preservatives used in its iconic $4.99 rotisserie chicken.

Filed in federal court, the lawsuit claims Costco markets its rotisserie chicken in a way that leads consumers to believe the product is free from artificial preservatives, when in fact it allegedly contains chemical additives used to enhance shelf life and appearance. The plaintiffs argue that ingredient disclosures and in-store marketing do not clearly communicate the presence or purpose of those substances.

What the suit claims

At the center of the case are preservatives such as sodium phosphate and other processing aids, which the lawsuit says many consumers actively try to avoid. The complaint maintains that reasonable shoppers associate Costco’s rotisserie chicken with freshness and minimal processing, and would not have purchased it — or would have paid less — had they known preservatives were involved.

Costco’s rotisserie chicken has achieved near-legendary status as a loss leader, drawing millions of customers into its warehouses each week. The company has previously highlighted its control over the supply chain, including operating its own poultry facilities, to ensure consistency and affordability.

“Because sodium phosphate and carrageenan perform preservative functions in the Rotisserie Chicken, the Rotisserie Chicken in fact contains added preservatives,” the lawsuit claims. “This inconsistency is not apparent to consumers at the time of purchase because, compared to the “No Preservatives” Representations, the ‘back of the label’ ingredient list is less prominent, appearing in smaller print on the Rotisserie Chicken’s packaging.”

The company’s response

In response to the lawsuit, Costco has denied any wrongdoing, stating that all ingredients are properly disclosed and approved by regulators. The company says its labeling meets federal food safety standards and that preservatives used in the chicken are common in the industry and serve legitimate food safety and quality purposes.

Consumer advocates say lawsuits like this reflect growing demand for transparency in food labeling, as shoppers increasingly seek out products they perceive as natural or minimally processed. Courts, however, often weigh those expectations against whether companies technically comply with labeling regulations.

The lawsuit seeks class-action status, damages for affected consumers, and changes to Costco’s labeling and marketing practices. If the case proceeds, it could have implications for how prepared foods are described across grocery stores nationwide.