What’s in a name? For Philadelphians (and young men of a particular era) “Wing Bowl” conjures up zany images from the 1993-2018 annual early morning chicken wing eating competition including scantily clad women, radio theatrics and trying to get into a sports arena at the crack of dawn, all wrapped up in a uniquely local brand of Philadelphia pre-Super Bowl sports chaos.
After seven years, Wing Bowl is reportedly back in the news. But when you look a little closer, it’s clear this is not quite the Wing Bowl of old. The event is being licensed, but not revived in the same way. It will look quite different: a new location outside Philadelphia, a new promoter, a new format, and no radio morning show antics.
A Brief History of Wing Bowl
Wing Bowl originated as a local stunt by WIP local morning radio hosts Angelo Cataldi and Al Morganti as a way for Philadelphians to enjoy the hype surrounding the Super Bowl; since, at the time, the Philadelphia Eagles’ notorious fans rarely saw their team make it to the big game. Over its 26-year run, Wing Bowl evolved into an iconic annual, over-the-top spectacle of chicken wing excess and Philadelphia-style revelry. It became a cultural trademark in Philadelphia and was recently the subject of its own documentary.
The event pitted pre-qualified competitive eaters against each other in a contest to see who could eat the most Buffalo wings. Over the years, contestants gained nicknames, fans and their own outrageous entourages known as “the Wingettes”.
Traditionally held the Friday before Super Bowl Sunday, what began as a local radio gimmick in a hotel lobby ended up attracting annual crowds of 20,000 people to Philadelphia’s Wells Fargo Center. In its later years, the raucous contest was covered live by the local affiliates of most major national morning news broadcasts. Clips of Wing Bowl made their way to the internet, national news and even abroad.
The original Wing Bowl ended in 2018 for a variety of reasons. However, the name is now back, licensed to The Plaza Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, but without the original sports radio platform, hosts, characters, or audience engagement that gave the event its wild energy.
Trademark Maintenance 101
Under U.S. law, federal trademark registrations must be maintained through periodic filings that demonstrate the mark is still in active commercial use for the goods or services listed in the registration. Key deadlines include:
- Section 8 Declaration (between years 5–6 and again between years 9–10)
- Section 9 Renewal (every 10 years)
If a mark has not been used for three consecutive years and no valid excuse applies, it is presumed abandoned. That is where licensing comes in.
A trademark owner like WIP, who is not currently using a mark, can preserve it by licensing it to a third party, so long as:
- The use is bona fide and not token.
- The license includes quality control provisions (i.e., not a “naked license”);
- The goods or services are consistent with the registration.
This approach enables the trademark owner to maintain rights without direct use, while keeping the mark relevant and ensuring its ongoing commercial viability.
Benefits of Licensing
In Wing Bowl’s case, the licensing arrangement may serve more than one purpose. Here are several additional strategic angles brand owners might consider:
- Licensing allows the trademark owner to offload operational and reputational risk to the licensee. If the event fails to attract audiences or generates negative press, it is hoped that the Plaza Hotel & Casino will absorb the damage. At the same time, the owner still preserves the mark and shares in the potential upside.
- Licensing can also generate revenue for both parties. For the trademark owner, it offers a way to monetize a dormant or legacy brand without taking on the cost and risk of reviving it. For the licensee, acquiring rights to a name with pre-existing recognition can reduce marketing spend, attract nostalgic consumers, and lend immediate credibility to a new event or product. If executed successfully, both parties can potentially share in ticket revenue, sponsorships, media rights, and merchandising tied to the licensed event.
Live events like Wing Bowl also often carry value not just in the name, but in the experience. It is worth considering whether a trademark like Wing Bowl may have limited standalone value if detached from its original media platform and over-the-top antics. Think Comic-Con or Burning Man. This highlights a key distinction: you can license a brand, but not always the cultural moment or experience it represents.
Trademark value is not immune to the passage of time. A mark like Wing Bowl, unused since 2018, may lose both legal protection and consumer relevance. Even if it once carried substantial regional equity, younger audiences may have no association with the name. Licensing can be a way to revive use temporarily, but by itself, it does not reverse brand atrophy.
Practical Takeaways for Brand Owners
Whether you are managing a legacy mark or overseeing a portfolio of sub-brands, it is helpful to keep these points in mind:
- Audit your trademark portfolio well ahead of renewal deadlines. This allows the brand owner to ensure the mark is being sufficiently used in commerce to maintain the registration.
- Maintain legacy marks with goodwill and potential value, even if they are not currently in use.
- Trademark maintenance is just one part of the equation since continued relevance depends on how the brand is viewed by the public, which can quickly fade if it disappears from public view.
- When a full-scale relaunch is not feasible, consider creative, low-cost licensing or limited third-party use to sustain both legal use and consumer recognition.
- Do not be afraid to refresh a legacy brand to appeal to new audiences, provided that the core brand identity and goodwill are preserved.
The return of Wing Bowl may make new headlines for its wings and wildness, but it also provides lessons for brand owners on how to not only monetize a brand but also keep it alive.
