Papa John’s announced Tuesday that it will no longer be the official sponsor of the National Football League after a turbulent season beset by boycotts and protests, along with a decline in sales for the pizza chain.
“The NFL and Papa John’s have made a mutual decision to shift from their official league sponsorship to a focus on partnerships with 22 local NFL teams, presence in broadcast and digital media, and key personalities in the sport,” the league and franchise said in a joint statement obtained by ESPN.
Papa John’s will still be invested in the NFL with 22 local-market deals, but the NFL is set to pick a new pizza company to be its official sponsor at league events such as the draft and Super Bowl.
Former CEO John Schnatter blamed NFL players protesting during the national anthem for a decline in sales back in November, and in December, he stepped down. Schnatter had long been the face of the company, appearing in television commercials and on the company’s pizza boxes.
Compared to the prior year, Papa John’s saw a 3.9 decline in sales towards the end of 2017.
