Who Does the Voice of the Buffalo Wild Wings?

If you have spent any time watching televised sports recently, you have likely heard a sharp, witty voice emanating from a winged buffalo perched at the end of a sports bar. Whether you are chuckling at the creature’s deadpan delivery or trying to place where you recognize that cadence from, you are not alone in asking: who does the voice of the Buffalo Wild Wings commercials?

The short answer for the current and most prominent campaign is comedian and actor Beck Bennett, best known for his eight-season tenure on Saturday Night Live. Bennett lends his distinctive comedic timing to "Hank," the animatronic winged buffalo mascot that headlines the restaurant chain's "Let's Go Sports Bar" brand campaign.

However, Buffalo Wild Wings has a rich history of memorable ad campaigns featuring different narrators, celebrities, and voice actors over the decades. Here is everything you need to know about Beck Bennett's role as Hank, how the character came to life, and the other famous voices associated with the brand.

The Star Behind the Mascot: Beck Bennett as Hank the Buffalo

In late summer 2023, Buffalo Wild Wings introduced Hank—a cynical, passionate, bar-stool-occupying winged buffalo with an encyclopedic love for all things sports. Voiced by Beck Bennett, Hank acts as the ultimate sports fan’s inner voice, offering sharp observations on game-day rituals, overtime heartbreaks, and bar food.

Bennett's delivery gives Hank a relatable, slightly weary, yet deeply enthusiastic persona. Rather than sounding like a sterile corporate spokesperson, Hank talks like a regular patron who has spent thirty straight hours watching college football and drinking draft beer.

Where Else Have You Seen (or Heard) Beck Bennett?

If Bennett’s voice sounds immediately familiar, it is because he has been a major fixture in pop culture and advertising for over a decade:

• Saturday Night Live (2013–2021): Bennett was a standout cast member on SNL, famous for his deadpan impressions (including Vladimir Putin and Mitch McConnell) and surreal, high-energy sketches alongside Kyle Mooney.
• AT&T "It’s Not Complicated" Ads: Before joining SNL, Bennett became a household face as the straight-faced moderator sitting around a tiny table interviewing elementary school children in AT&T's massively popular commercial campaign.
• Voice Acting Roles: Bennett voiced Launchpad McQuack in Disney’s reboot of DuckTales, Austin Van Der Sleet in The Mitchells vs. the Machines, and Sterling in The Angry Birds Movie 2.

How Hank the Buffalo Was Brought to Life

One of the most surprising aspects of Hank is that he is not a pure CGI creation. Buffalo Wild Wings and their creative agency, Anomaly, opted for an old-school approach to make Hank feel grounded in the physical reality of a busy restaurant.

Hank is a sophisticated physical animatronic puppet built by the legendary special effects studio Legacy Effects—the same studio responsible for creating practical creatures in blockbuster franchises like The Mandalorian (Grogu) and the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

On set, puppeteers manipulate Hank’s facial movements, eyes, mouth, and tiny buffalo wings in real time. Beck Bennett's vocal performance is then married to those movements, creating an uncanny blend of realistic bar ambiance and surreal humor. The campaign was directed by veteran comedy director and Chappelle’s Show co-creator Neal Brennan, adding an extra layer of comedic pedigree to the ads.

Who Does the Voice of the Buffalo Wild Wings Commercials in Past Campaigns?

While Beck Bennett commands the spotlight today as Hank, viewers who remember earlier B-Dubs ads might be thinking of different narrators and actors. Over the past twenty years, the brand has employed several distinct marketing eras:

1. The "Overtime / Push the Button" Era

During one of Buffalo Wild Wings' most iconic campaigns in the 2000s and 2010s, fans sitting in the restaurant conspire with bartenders to extend sporting events. By pressing hidden buttons behind the bar, employees triggered missed field goals, sprinkler malfunctions, or miraculous last-second buzzer-beaters to push games into overtime so customers would not have to leave.

These spots featured crisp, cinematic voiceover narration by seasoned commercial voice talent, alongside live-action comedic character actors who played the scheming fans and deadpan bartenders.

2. The Brett Gelman Appearances

In 2016, character actor and comedian Brett Gelman (famous for his roles in Stranger Things and Fleabag) starred in a series of football-themed commercials. Gelman appeared on screen as an eccentric, intense football aficionado providing comedic monologues about game day rituals and wing consumption.

3. Gary Anthony Sturgis and Promo Announcers

For high-intensity, promotional radio and television spots that highlight limited-time sauces or Wing Tuesdays, Buffalo Wild Wings has historically turned to veteran promo voice talent with deep, resonant voices. Notable voice artists like Gary Anthony Sturgis have lent their authoritative tones to sports promo campaigns across television, leading some viewers to associate that low, booming cadence with the chain.

Why Buffalo Wild Wings Invests Heavily in Comedy Voiceovers

Casual dining is a fiercely competitive industry, especially in the sports bar segment. Restaurant chains do not just compete on wing sauces or beer selections; they compete for cultural presence during major sports broadcasts.

Buffalo Wild Wings relies on comedic voice talent for three primary reasons:

1. Cutting Through Broadcast Clutter: During an NFL or NBA broadcast, viewers are inundated with hundreds of nearly identical commercials for trucks, beer, and insurance. A distinct voice like Bennett's—coming out of a miniature animatronic buffalo—jolts the viewer out of commercial fatigue.
2. Building Brand Authenticity: Sports fans can smell pandering from a mile away. By hiring comedic writers and performers who understand the obsessive, irrational, and funny side of sports fandom, the brand speaks the genuine language of its target audience.
3. Memorable Mascot Identification: A recognizable voice gives an inanimate logo or mascot an immediate personality. Hank transforms the Buffalo Wild Wings logo from a graphic on a cup into an entertaining companion you expect to see on game day.

Summary: The Voice Behind B-Dubs

Next time you are watching a game and spot that little winged buffalo holding court at the bar, you know the man behind the microphone: former Saturday Night Live star Beck Bennett. Through a combination of Bennett’s comedic timing and Legacy Effects' animatronics, Hank the Buffalo has cemented his spot as one of the most recognizable and funny sports-advertising characters on television today.