Birmingham City Football Club has signed a 12-month sponsorship deal with cannabis drinks firm Green Monkey.
The club is the first football team in the world to be sponsored by a cannabis oil company.
Green Monkey CBD will supply a range of CBD products and drinks to the club which will be available on match days throughout the Trillion Trophy Stadium.
The controversial deal will also see the club work on a series of engagement events with the brand in order to co-promote the Birmingham-based company’s range.
Green Monkey will also be using the club’s range of advertising outlets to further spread the health and wellbeing brand’s message.
Typically, CBD companies have been more restricted in their advertising channels, but this is the first deal that puts a CBD company as one of the main sponsors of a major sports club.
Green Monkey’s 250ml carbonated canned drink contains 10mg of broad-spectrum CBD was launched in November 2018 and more than a million have been sold.
The drinks will be available at bars throughout the ground as well as in the corporate areas and cocktails such as a “Monkey Mojito”, and “Gin and Green”, will be available in the hospitality areas.
Ian Dutton, Chief Commercial Officer at Blues, said: “We are delighted to be one of the first clubs to partner with a CBD Drinks brand.
“As a club we are always looking to be innovative and create industry firsts with our partnerships programme.
“It was clear from the beginning that a partnership with Green Monkey CBD was going to give us the opportunity to deliver a new and unique offering for our fans on matchdays, so we look forward to having their very distinctive green cans available across our kiosk and hospitality areas.”
Sportsmen and women around the globe have begun to use CBD products to help with a variety of conditions although the makers of Green Monkey are very careful not to make any such claims.
Serge Davies, CEO of Green Monkey explained the benefits of the tie in with the Championship club.
He said: “With a big club, with a massive fan base right on our doorstep it was a natural tie in for us.
