MLB allows CBD Brand Sponsorships.

Photo: MLB.com

By Hunter Dublin | July 15, 2022

Following a Major League Baseball (MLB) statement last week, professional baseball clubs can begin selling sponsorships to CBD products; the organization joins the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and NASCAR in permitting CBD marketing, according to the Sports Business Journal.

All items eligible for ad placement must first pass a THC threshold examination performed by the National Sports Federation (NSF), proving that they do not contain active THC levels. According to the source, each trade must also be approved by the MLB commissioner.

"We've been monitoring this category for a years, waiting for it to grow to the point where we can feel comfortable with it," said MLB Chief Revenue Officer Noah Garden. "Our fans are exactly the type of consumers they seek, and we like being first." It's an excellent opportunity for both us and the clubs."

The league is open to such arrangements, but the firm "needs to have a brand that reflects sports," according to Garden. CBD suppliers that are given deals will be allowed to run commercials during MLB telecasts, similar to sports betting ads, according to the Journal.

Although CBD is federally legal, and several athletes, including golfer Bubba Watson, former NFL tight end Rob Gronkowski, US Women's National Team star Megan Rapinoe, and the Richard Childress NASCAR team, have CBD sponsorships, sports in general have been slow to jump into the business of selling CBD ads.

According to the article, experts predict the MLB's foray into the area would prompt other organizations, such as the National Basketball Association (NBA), to begin allowing players and teams the ability to sell CBD ads.

Garden says the NSF accreditation gives the league "confidence to move ahead."