ENGLISH football club Birmingham City has become the first team in the country to be sponsored by a CBD company.
The former Premier League team, who now play in the second tier of English football – soccer for US readers – signed a 12-month deal with cannabis drinks firm Green Monkey CBD.
Green Monkey will supply a range of CBD products and drinks to the club which will be available at bars throughout the ground.
They will also be on sale in the corporate and hospitality areas of the St Andrew’s Trillion Trophy Stadium where cocktails such as a ‘Monkey Mojito’, and ‘Gin and Green’, will be on offer.
Green Monkey will also be using the clubs range of advertising outlets to further spread its brand message.
Birmingham City (BCFC) says it will also work on a series of engagement events with the brand in order to co-promote the Birmingham-based company’s range.
Serge Davies, CEO of Green Monkey said establishing a link with such a big club, with a ‘massive fan base right on our doorstep was a natural tie in’.
“Football fans are changing and progressive clubs such as Birmingham are realising that their fans are searching for different products when at the game.
“Of course it will be great to see fans drinking our cocktails and cans at the game but the bigger issue is spreading the word about CBD and educating people on what it is.”
Green Monkey’s 250ml carbonated canned drink contains 10mg of broad spectrum CBD. Launched in November last year it has passed the one million sales mark.
A spokesperson for BCFC said the partnership with Green Monkey CBD gave it the ‘opportunity to deliver a new and unique offering to its fans’.
Las Vegas Lights, who play in the United Soccer League, were the first professional sports team in the US to align with a cannabis company – NuWu Cannabis Marketplace.
Since last year’s US Hemp Bill more and more sports teams are hooking up with cannabis firms including Portland Pickles baseball team who have teamed up with Portland-based CBD brand Lazarus Naturals.
