"nielsen" news and stories

Last Friday, The Nielsen Company (most famous for its TV ratings) released its annual Guide to the Super Bowl ...which primarily consists of statistics compiled after last year's Super Bowl (...from which we're supposed to extrapolate information about this year's Super Bowl). [Thanks to Rob Kasper for turning me on to the press release via his blog.]

Among the guide's findings, "The Super Bowl is ranked 8th among the highest beer selling occasions for the year."

Since I am mildly obsessed with the concept of determining what is the "biggest drinking day of the year" (which, must be noted, is distinctly different than the "highest beer selling day of the year" despite the two ideas being somewhat related), I decided to look into this claim in greater depth.

Shown to the above right is the Nielsen Company's list of "Top Holidays/Events for Beer" as determined by combined beer sales from all U.S. outlets (including food, liquor, convenience and drug) for the "two-week period surrounding the event."

I took one look at this list and though, "Huh-whaaa?!"

The top three look alright, but then everything else seems to go a little haywire. Father's Day at number four?! Easter Sunday beating out Super Bowl Sunday?! I decided to take these question directly to the source...

Is Super Bowl Sunday really only the 8th biggest beer selling occasion of the year? Find out after the jump...