PITTSBURGH — GNC on Monday announced an exclusive licensing agreement with Shadow Beverages and Snacks, the producer and distributor of Ironclad Energy + Hydration and No Fear Energy drinks.

The deal is expected to push the GNC brand name beyond its retail base and partnership with Rite Aid in the drug channel. Under the terms of the licensing agreement, Shadow Beverages and Snacks will produce a line of ready-to-drink products that will be marketed under the GNC brand.

"This exclusive licensing agreement with Shadow Beverages allows the GNC brand to expand and grow well beyond GNC's own retail and online outlets, and [to] service a much broader and more diverse audience of active consumers looking for products to help them live a healthy lifestyle with products they trust," stated Tom Dowd, GNC EVP.

GNC will leverage its 75 years of expertise, quality and name recognition to help develop true better-for-you drink lines across multiple categories. Shadow Beverages will develop, produce, market and sell drinks under the GNC Live Well trademark, which will be available across a wide range of retail outlets, the companies stated. It is anticipated that the first products developed under the agreement will go into distribution in third quarter 2011.