Having decided it no longer kneads Papa John’s, the NFL has moved on to Pizza Hut as its official pizza sponsor, according to a statement the league made on Wednesday.
Pizza Hut’s new status as sponsor was announced just one day after the league and Papa John’s released a joint statement saying the two had parted ways.
Pizza Hut and the NFL reached a multiyear agreement that will offer “exclusive marketing rights and designations that will connect the brand with the NFL and its teams, players, events, [and] partners,” the league said Wednesday.
Papa John’s has had a rocky few months. Founder John Schnatter, who supported Donald Trump during the 2016 presidential campaign, expressed his displeasure in November about NFL players taking a knee during the national anthem to protest police brutality and systemic racial injustice. Schnatter claimed the league’s handling of the protests was responsible for Papa John’s softening sales.
That commentary resulted in bad publicity and still more poor sales for Papa John’s, ultimately leading to Schnatter’s resignation as CEO toward the end of last year. He is still the company’s chairman.
Twitter users (and many members of the NFL) have been particularly saucy about Wednesday’s news:
Now... who’s hungry?
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