Luis Fonsi released 'Despacito' in January 2017 and the world, apparently, celebrated by eating more chicken wings. For eight years, as the video accumulated billions of views — becoming the most-watched YouTube video in history — Americans responded to each new milestone by consuming proportionally more poultry at large televised sporting events.
Both metrics grew steadily from 2017 onward, driven by compounding digital and cultural trends. YouTube view counts accumulate passively over time — 'Despacito' crossed 8 billion views by the mid-2020s simply by existing. Super Bowl wing consumption has risen alongside broader growth in game-day food culture, delivery app penetration, and wing restaurant expansion. The correlation across just eight data points is high partly by mathematical luck — both are upward-sloping lines in the same short time window.
Eight data points and a 0.9721 correlation is the statistical equivalent of two strangers realizing they have the same birthday — striking in the moment, less surprising when you remember how many strangers there are.
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Want to learn more about why correlations like “Despacito YouTube views” vs “Super Bowl chicken wings consumed” don't prove causation? Read our guide to statistical thinking.
