*This piece first appeared in the Front Office Sports Newsletter. Subscribe today and get the news before anyone else.
As teams and leagues look for emerging partner opportunities, CBD brands are showcasing that they aren’t afraid to spend when it comes to sports partnerships.
While not really a thought in the minds of professionals more than a year ago, CBD presents both a revenue opportunity and an interesting challenge for teams and leagues.
How did this happen?
Before the enactment of the new nationwide 2018 Farm Bill. there wasn’t much mainstream conversation around CBD. Since then, the category has exploded across both retail and sports.
When the bill passed, it legalized industrial hemp by removing it from the controlled substances list and allowing tribes, states, and territories to establish regulatory structures within their boundaries that allow farmers and ranchers to produce a high-value cash crop while retaining federal farm program benefits that were previously not allowed.
Teams and leagues are starting to find interest…
Just this past week, the Portland Pickles became the first baseball team with a CBD partner.
Before that, the Big3 signed a deal with cbdMD that made the brand the official CBD partner of the upstart basketball league.
And, ahead of this weekend’s Indianapolis 500, Arrow Schmidt Peterson Motorsports announced its partnership with DEFY – a CBD-based sports performance drink.
The only problem with this partnership is that the drivers of the car can’t drink the drink due to the fact that CBD is on IndyCar’s banned substance list
Who’s sponsoring what?
Below you will find a list of some of the CBD and cannabis-related partnerships that have been signed recently.
Las Vegas Lights / NuWu Cannabis Marketplace
Big3 / cbdMD
Portland Pickles / Lazarus Naturals
Arrow Schmidt Peterson Motorsports / DEFY
Jonathan Byrd’s Racing / Liquid Gold Processing
RC Enerson / Craft 1861
It’s not just teams and leagues…
While the bigger deals might get more attention, CBD companies have also struck deals with athletes.
For example, Bubba Watson has a deal with cbdMD, the same brand that is sponsoring the Big3.
Before Watson, Scott McCarron signed an endorsement deal with Functional Remedies, a hemp manufacturing company.
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