NFL just signed with a massive new sponsor
That didn’t take very long at all.
Mere hours after breaking up with Papa John’s, the NFL has already found a new “Official Pizza of the National Football League,” and it’s the biggest pizza chain in America.
The NFL has confirmed that it has entered a lucrative sponsorship deal with Pizza Hut, less than 14 hours after mutually agreeing to end its sponsorship deal with Papa John’s prematurely.
While exact financial deals have not been disclosed, the deal reportedly is worth more money and for more years than the NFL’s previous deal with Papa John’s. The new Pizza Hut deal runs through 2021.
“We know many of our fans enjoy pizza while watching NFL games and we are thrilled to have Pizza Hut, an industry leader and one of America’s favorite brands, as an official league sponsor,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement. “With a focus on family, friends and fun, Pizza Hut has the creativity we are looking for in a partner and we look forward to working together with them to make the at-home NFL experience more exciting than ever for our fans.”
“The NFL and pizza appeal to the same demographic, which is everyone,” said Renie Anderson, NFL senior vice president of partnership and sponsorship management. “Fans watch our game and they do it around a pizza box. That’s why it’s one of the most important categories in sports sponsorship.”
The sponsorship deal will roll out with the upcoming NFL Draft, which will take place in April at AT&T Stadium, where the Dallas Cowboys play.
Things could get awkward quickly as the Cowboys have an official deal with Papa John’s. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones owns about 94 Papa John’s restaurants as an investor in the franchise. However, Papa John’s will no longer be allowed to have a presence at official league events.
For the NFL, this new deal is a huge upgrade.
Regardless of personal taste or preference in fast food pizza, Pizza Hut has an unquestionably larger presence than Papa John’s. Pizza Hut has more than double the number of restaurants of Papa John’s, with over 7,500 stores nationwide.
On top of that, Pizza Hut can help with branding efforts internationally as well, with over 16,700 worldwide stores in over 100 countries.
For Pizza Hut, the benefits aren’t nearly as concrete.
Pizza Hut will be allowed to use logos and likenesses of all 32 NFL teams and will partner with the NFL for special branded deals. Some Pizza Hut restaurants will also be able to work directly with their local NFL team for special events.
That being said, as popular as the NFL remains, it’s becoming a more polarizing entity by the day.
Some people are upset with the NFL because of the perceived “blackballing” of free agent quarterback Colin Kaepernick, which they perceive as being racist in nature. Many more people are upset with the NFL because of their players who opt to kneel or protest during the national anthem. Point being, people from all parts of the political spectrum have been finding a gripe with the NFL.
For Pizza Hut, it needs to be asked if the bump in publicity by associating with the NFL is going to be worth inheriting some of the league’s toxicity as well. If Papa John’s sudden breakup with the NFL is any indication, the answer is probably, “No.”
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