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The NFL didn't take long to accept its new pizza delivery. One day after Papa John's announced that the company and the league had mutually agreed to part ways in their sponsorship agreement, the NFL called in an order for a replacement in Pizza Hut.
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Financial terms of the contract were not revealed by the league on Wednesday, but multiple outlets reported that it extends beyond the original deal of Papa John's. The previous deal was contracted to run through the 2020 season, but the new pact now extends through the 2021 campaign.
"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."
Pizza Hut is the largest pizza chain in the United States with more than 7,500 stores, over twice as more as Papa John's.
"Pizza Hut has a history of bringing more entertaining food and experiences to the pizza occasion and we plan to continue that through our exclusive partnership with the NFL," said Artie Starrs, President, Pizza Hut U.S.
"NFL stadiums are packed every week but tens of millions of fans are also watching the game at home. We have an unmatched ability to bring those fans closer to the sport thanks to the power of our 7,200 restaurants and 150,000 football-crazed team members. The capacity for what's possible is endless and that's going to make this league partnership great fun for Pizza Hut, the NFL and everyone who loves pizza and football."
The new deal will begin on April 1, and Pizza Hut will begin its marketing campaign around the NFL Draft, which takes place April 26-28 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Pizza Hut's headquarters are in nearby Plano.
The relationship between the NFL and Papa John's disintegrated following an effort by former Papa John's CEO John Schnatter to publicly blame corporate struggles on the league's reduced ratings and anthem controversy.
NFL owners and executives had been scrambling to determine the best response to players kneeling during the national anthem this past season, a movement started by former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick to denounce police brutality against African-Americans, social injustice and racial inequality. A number of players followed Kaepernick's lead by taking a knee during the anthem in 2016 and 2017.
