Major League Baseball (MLB) is partnering with Charlotte’s Web Holdings Inc. in an exclusive multi-year deal to make the brand the “Official CBD of Major League Baseball,” CNBC reports. It is the first deal between a CBD company and one of the four major U.S. professional sports leagues.
MLB announced in June it would allow teams to begin selling sponsorships to CBD brands. Previously, only Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and NASCAR allowed CBD sponsorships. Under MLB rules, all products considered for sponsorships must first pass a THC threshold analysis by the National Sports Federation (NSF), confirming they do not have active levels of THC. Daily Edge, one of Charlotte’s Web tincture products, is certified by NSF. Once the product is released, it will feature the MLB logo on its bottle.
In June, MLB Chief Revenue Officer Noah Garden said league officials have been eyeing the CBD category “for a while and waiting for it to mature to the point” where the league was comfortable with it.
While MLB is the first league to partner with a CBD company, other U.S. athletes have launched their own CBD brands or reached sponsorship deals, including former National Football League tight end Rob Gronkowski, U.S. Women’s National Team star Megan Rapinoe, and the Richard Childress NASCAR team.
Charlotte’s Web has previously partnered with National Women’s Soccer League club Angel City FC.