Pizza Hut Replacing Papa John's as NFL Sponsor

Pizza Hut is replacing Papa John's as the official pizza of the NFL.

Pizza Hut is replacing Papa John's as one of the National Football League's corporate sponsors, just one day after Papa John's and the league announced they were ending their relationship, the NFL announced.

Papa John's was the league's official pizza sponsor since 2010, but the company says it would shift focus to deals with 22 of the NFL's 32 teams.

"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."

Papa John’s deal was set to expire in 2020. The Pizza Hut deal is through the 2021 season.

Last October, Papa John's founder John Schnatter blamed NFL players' protests during the national anthem for the chain's decrease in sales. He was ousted as the company's chief executive in January, but remains on its board of directors.

Pizza Hut, headquartered in Plano, Texas is the largest pizza chain in the United States with more than 7,500 stores.

Pizza Hut's deal with the league is for more years and will pay the league more than Papa John's.

Pizza Hut's new deal will start April 1, with plans to market around the NFL Draft later that month. will kick off its new rights on April 1, with marketing around the NFL Draft set for April 26-28.