ACNielsen and Nielsen Sports, both business units of The Nielsen Company, today released a study showing that wine consumption among NASCAR fans is up 22% from last year, far outpacing the U.S. growth in wine. In 2006, retail wine sales in the U.S. (total grocery, drug, and selected liquor markets only) reached a new record of
$8.4 billion, up 7% from 2005.
Nielsen FANLinks, a service that tracks household consumption among
U.S. sports fans, indicates that wine purchases have increased to $81.40
per year, an average dollar increase of about $14.60 per household. Results
also indicate that this increase in wine spending is slightly stronger
among avid fans, with their purchases increasing by 26.4%. While imported
wine sales are growing among NASCAR fans, domestic wine still represents a
majority of their sales, nearly 70%. With about 75 million NASCAR fans in
the U.S., this could become the next big advertising opportunity for the
wine industry.
Average NASCAR Fan -
Household Wine Purchases ($)
2005 2006
—— ——
$66.80 $81.40
“These findings emphasize tremendous opportunities for advertisers
interested in sports fan consumers. Wine brands that can align their brand
to these consumers are positioned to reap the benefits of fan loyalty for
years to come,” said Ann Marie Dumais, VP of Marketing, Nielsen Ventures.
While NASCAR fans’ growing penchant for wine may sound surprising, team
owners and racecar drivers are not surprised at all. NASCAR team owner,
Richard Childress, has ventured into the wine business, as has driver, Jeff
Gordon. In 2005, Gordon announced a series of upscale wines under a self-
titled label, the Jeff Gordon Collection.
Furthermore, in 2005, Texas Motor Speedway pioneered an effort to
accommodate the increasing number of NASCAR fans who prefer drinking wine.
The racetrack became the first sports venue in Texas to allow fans to
purchase wine in the grandstand during races.
About Nielsen Sports(TM)
Nielsen Sports, a business unit of The Nielsen Company, specializes in
creating best practices for the sports sponsorship industry. Nielsen
Sports, established in collaboration with Nielsen Ventures, is founded on a
heritage and commitment to providing information that is results-oriented
and objective for both buyers and sellers of sports sponsorships. For more
information on Nielsen Sports, please visit http://www.nielsensports.com
About ACNielsen
ACNielsen, a business unit of The Nielsen Company, is the world’s
leading marketing information provider. Offering services in more than 100
countries, the unit provides measurement and analysis of marketplace
dynamics and consumer attitudes and behavior. Clients rely on ACNielsen’s
market research, proprietary products, analytical tools and professional
service to understand competitive performance, to uncover new opportunities
and to raise the profitability of their marketing and sales campaigns.
About The Nielsen Company
The Nielsen Company is a global information and media company with
leading market positions and recognized brands in marketing information
(ACNielsen), media information (Nielsen Media Research), business
publications (Billboard, The Hollywood Reporter, Adweek), trade shows and
the newspaper sector (Scarborough Research). The privately held company has
more than 42,000 employees and is active in more than 100 countries, with
headquarters in Haarlem, the Netherlands, and New York, USA. For more
information, please visit, http://www.nielsen.com
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