# Watch: Papa John’s is Ending its Sponsorship Deal with the NFL

Published 2018-02-28 · Updated 2026-03-12 · Professional AV on MarketScale
Canonical: https://www.marketscale.com/industries/pro-av/watch-papa-johns-ending-sponsorship-deal-nfl

> CEO Steve Ritchie announced the split today during the company’s earnings conference call, calling the decision mutual. The international pizza chain has seen a decline in sales after founder and then-CEO John Schnatter sounded off on player’s kneeling during the national anthem. We are totally disappointed that the NFL and its leadership did not resolve…

CEO Steve Ritchie announced the split today during the company’s earnings conference call, calling the decision mutual. The international pizza chain has seen a decline in sales after founder and then-CEO John Schnatter sounded off on player’s kneeling during the national anthem. We are totally disappointed that the NFL and its leadership did not resolve the ongoing situation to the satisfaction of all parties long ago. This should have been nipped in the bud a year and a half ago. According to ESPN’s Darren Rovell, Papa John’s sales for Oct.-Dec. 2017 dropped 3.9 percent when compared to the year before.

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