A pizza-shaped hole has emerged in the NFL’s roster, after Papa John’s announced its sponsorship deal has ended.
Speaking on the company’s earnings conference call on Tuesday, Papa John’s chief executive Steve Ritchie said the league and the restaurant chain had mutually agreed to part ways, eight years after the latter became the NFL’s official pizza.
Local Papa John's franchises supplied free pizza at the 'Free Tom Brady' rally in support for the New England Patriots quarterback in 2015. Getty Images
The Kentucky-based company said it will no longer have a large presence at events such as the Super Bowl and the draft, where it will be replaced by a new pizza sponsor, although its investment in the NFL will continue through its local-market deals with 22 teams.