The N.F.L. and the pizza company said they were mutually dissolving their national sponsorship deal, and that Papa John's would focus instead on the smaller sponsorships it has with 22 of the league's 32 teams.

CEO Steve Ritchie said on the company's earnings conference call that the league and the company mutually decided it was in their best interests for Papa John's, which became the official pizza of the league in 2010, to give up the designation. The brand is the first NFL sponsor to leave in the midst of its deal.

O'Neal initially signed a deal with Papa John's in 2019 as the company was working its way out of a bad, two-year funk stemming from controversies surrounding its founder and former spokesman John Schnatter. O'Neal became a franchisee of the brand as well as a director and a spokesman.

John Schnatter has been effectively out of Papa John's for more than two years and hasn't been a shareholder in the chain for some time. But he's not exactly sitting on a beach enjoying his millions, either.

The change happened after John Schnatter, the company's founder and former CEO, stirred up controversy when he claimed his company's sales were hurt by the way the NFL handled pro football players' protests for social justice. Pizza Hut took over at that time, only to get picked off by Little Caesars this year.

In October 2022, Papa Murphy's was sued in a class action lawsuit alleging the company had been secretly wiretapping the private conversations of everyone who had communicated via the company's online chat feature.

Top Spending Sponsors in the NFL 2022

Little Caesars in June took over from Pizza Hut and became the official pizza sponsor of the NFL.

nine Papa John's restaurants Shaq owns nine Papa John's restaurants in and around Atlanta. He has also appeared in Papa John's commercials and other advertising which is part of the criteria he required. He not only purchased nine franchises, but he also sold the company the right to use his likeness and voice for $8.5 million.

$5.625 million Under the new terms, O'Neal will get $5.625 million in cash payments over the three years - that's an increase from the $4.125 million Papa John's paid as part of the first agreement. The success of the Shaq-a-Roni pizza could also mean O'Neal earns more.

Drivers of the growth include the firm's sustained commitment to quality ingredients and its early investment in technology, Slagle said. In 2001, Papa John's became the first pizza chain to offer national online ordering.

John Hampton "Papa John" Schnatter (born November 22 or 23, 1961) is an American entrepreneur who founded the Papa John's pizza restaurant chain in 1984. Schnatter started the business in the back of his father's tavern after selling his car and using the proceeds to purchase used restaurant equipment.