With the Super Bowl less than a month away, the avocado industry is bracing for what looks to be a record-breaking season.
A whopping 2.5 billion pounds of Mexican avocados are projected to be imported into the U.S. for the 2025-26 season, with 280 million pounds projected for the Big Game alone, setting new records, according to Avocados From Mexico.
“The Mexican avocado industry continues to raise the bar – not just for itself but for the global sector. This record projection is a testament to the operational strength of this deeply integrated, binational supply chain …,” said Alvaro Luque, Avocados From Mexico president and CEO, in a press release.
“This record-breaking projection isn’t just about volume – it’s about confidence. Confidence in quality, confidence in size availability, confidence in promotable supply, and confidence that our promotional programs are built to support our partners year-round.”
NFL Showcase Gets Gamified Using AI
To make this season’s Super Bowl experience more interactive, Avocados From Mexico is launching Prediction Pit, an immersive AI experience that allows football fans to step “inside the game” and interact directly with comedian and so-called “Guac Guru” Rob Riggle to predict plays, games, and outcomes and get custom recipe inspiration in real time.
Avocados From Mexico is predicting in-game action with Guac Guru Rob Riggle ahead of the Big Game. (PRNewsfoto/Avocados From Mexico)
To prepare for the launch, Riggle spent time on set with Avocados From Mexico to capture content that AI experts then used to create a hyper-realistic, digital version of the comedian – and his resulting avatar is able to make live football predictions, among other capabilities.
Avocados From Mexico is partnering with SportsDataIO, a sports data and content provider, to launch the program, which will enable fans to interact with Riggle’s Guac Guru character, choose from a list of predictions about their favorite pro team, and enjoy customized takes on their must-know football questions.
The predictive AI system has the capacity to run 10,000 play-by-play simulations for every game, dynamically updating probabilities, averages, distributions, and correlated player projections as real-world inputs shift.
Prediction Pit’s results will change throughout the week – even throughout the day – in accordance with depth chart updates, weather, and other variables, which will trigger automatic re-simulations and offer a personalized, fluid predictive experience to spectators.
“With Prediction Pit, we’re strategically leveraging cutting-edge AI to deepen connections with consumers and inspire guacamole consumption during one of the most exciting times of the year for football fans,” said Luque in a separate press release.
Beyond the Super Bowl
However, the Big Game isn’t the only big day on the horizon for the avocado industry, as guacamole is an integral part of Cinco de Mayo celebrations and the summer grilling season.
“As avocado consumption in the U.S. has more than doubled over the past decade, our role has evolved beyond simply supplying fruit,” said Stephanie Bazan, Senior VP of commercial strategy and execution.
“We are a strategic partner to retailers, combining dependable volume with programs that help turn demand into results at shelf.”
