Yesterday afternoon Papa John's announced that they had ended their sponsorship deal with the NFL, which was contracted to run through the 2020 season, according to ESPN's Darren Rovell.
Less than 14 hours after that announcement, the NFL has already found a new pizza chain to be the league's official sponsor - Pizza Hut.
According to reports, Pizza Hut's deal with the NFL will official start on April 1st and will run through the 2021 season, although the financial terms were not immediately available. Pizza Hut, the largest pizza chain in America, has more than 7,500 stores which more than double that of Papa John's, according to Darren Rovell.
Renie Anderson, the NFL's senior vice president of partnership and sponsorship management, expressed the importance of having a pizza sponsor such as Pizza Hut.
"The NFL and pizza appeal to the same demographic, which is everyone," said Renie Anderson, per ESPN. "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 NFL Draft, taking place at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas from April 26-28, will be the first chance for Pizza Hut to take advantage of their new opportunity.
According to USA Today, Papa John’s still has team partnerships with more than 20 NFL franchises, but the company will no longer be allowed to use team or league logos or use the Super Bowl in promotions.