As Pizza Hut Leaves the NFL, Little Caesars Is Suiting Up

Food delivery has become one of the rituals for Super Bowl viewers with 59% of U.S. households likely to order food during the Big Game, according to virtual restaurant solution Nextbite. And pizza is king of the food categories as the most ordered cuisine (93%). Looking to take more slices out of the American pie market, Little Caesars and the NFL are entering a multi-year sponsorship agreement that names the QSR as the official pizza sponsor of the National Football League. The agreement includes exclusive marketing rights designed to connect the brand with the NFL, its events and fans. This will also include "components like social media games, new products, new packaging and unique promotions," according to Little Caesars. The full features of the deal will be revealed before the start of the 2022 season and roll out over the course of the sponsorship. “We’re thrilled to welcome Little Caesars to the NFL family,” Renie Anderson, chief revenue officer and evp of NFL Partnerships, said in a statement. The NFL had a deal with Pizza Hut that started in February 2018. Prior to Pizza Hut, Papa John's was the official pizza sponsor from 2010-2018. Pizza brings in the dough As a privately held company, Detroit-based Little Caesars didn't reveal its sales data. Still, the QSR claims to be the third largest pizza chain in the world. That claim is borne out by Technomic estimates, which found Little Caesars racked up about $4.2 billion in sales in 2021, a figure that placed it third in pizza chain sales behind Domino’s and Pizza Hut. “This partnership aims to enhance the fun of game day by bringing the quality and convenience Little Caesars is known for to NFL fans across the country,” said Dave Scrivano, president and CEO of Little Caesars. “And because we’re the value leader in the pizza industry, hungry fans can enjoy weekly gametime meals at a very affordable price during a time when food prices are on the rise.” Little Caesars' coin toss Despite its troubles—from player protests to concussions—the NFL still brings massively positive attention to brand sponsors. And the game's reach and relevance are beyond question: The 2021 NFL regular season saw an average audience of 17.1 million, a 10% increase YoY and the highest full-season average since 2015, according to NBC. NBCUniversal averaged 112.3 million viewers across its platforms during the Super Bowl, up 16%. For Pizza Hut, the added reach didn't necessarily result in a massive rise in sales. The company saw an increase when it became an NFL sponsor, but sales have slowed down as of late. In its most recent quarterly report, the brand's parent company Yum reported a 6% same-store sales decline, which it attributed mainly to a shortage of delivery drivers. The news ended a seven-quarter sales growth streak for the restaurant chain. Furthering sports sponsorship The news for Little Caesars comes after CMO Jeff Klein departed the brand for the same role at Popeyes earlier this month. Little Caesars has played in the sports marketing arena before. It has the naming rights of the downtown Detroit arena where the Pistons and Red Wings play. The Ilitch family owns both Little Caesars and the Red Wings. Little Caesars was also named the official pizza delivery partner of the NHL in 2020 in a deal that has since expired. From Pizza to Popeyes: Little Caesars' Jeff Klein Is Cajun Fast Food Chain's New CMO