Sports Fans Welcome Cannabis Brand Sponsorships For Teams In Professional Leagues Like NFL, NBA And MLB, Poll Shows
A majority of sports fans across multiple leagues—from NFL to pro tennis and NBA to NASCAR—say it’s acceptable for cannabis companies to sponsor teams, according to a new survey.
As more professional sports leagues loosen policies around marijuana use among players, and some have allowed for cannabis-related sponsorships, the poll from Performance Research and Full Circle Research found either majority or plurality support for letting cannabis brands partner with teams.
There was more support for allowing CBD-related sponsorships, as opposed to deals with “THC brands,” but in no case was there majority opposition to either kind of partnership among fans of nine different sports leagues: NFL, NBA, MLB, MLS, UFC, NHL, Pro Tennis, Pro Golf and NASCAR.
Here’s the percentage of sports fans across those leagues who say it’s “completely” or “mostly” acceptable for CBD companies to sponsor teams:
MLS: 73 percent
UFC: 68 percent
Pro Tennis: 64 percent
NHL: 62 percent
Pro Golf: 62 percent
NBA: 60 percent
NASCAR: 56 percent
NFL: 55 percent
MLB: 55 percent
Here’s the percentage of sports fans across those leagues who say it’s “completely” or “mostly” acceptable for THC companies to sponsor teams:
MLS: 69 percent
UFC: 60 percent
NHL: 55 percent
Pro Tennis: 53 percent
NASCAR: 53 percent
NBA: 50 percent
Pro Golf: 49 percent
NFL: 46 percent
MLB: 46 percent
The survey included 1,o00 sports fans over the age of 21 in the 24 states where recreational marijuana is legal and was conducted between April 23-26.
“I think there’s no longer a justifiable reason to be shy about this,” Jed Pearsall, president and founder of Performance Research, told Sports Business Journal, which first reported the poll results.
The outlet reported that the survey also showed that a majority of sports fans’ perceptions of leagues and teams are either positively affected or unchanged due to cannabis sponsorships—though it also found that only 17 percent are aware of any such specific partnerships.
“I think those on the sales side can aggressively sell these opportunities and those on the sponsor side should realize that these opportunities will be welcome where they go,” Pearsall said. “Sports has a way of normalizing things, and that’s good for the cannabis industry, and those marketing with it.”
To that point, major sports leagues have been gradually reducing the stigma against cannabis use, with policy changes for players and professional affiliations with the industry.
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