Pizza company Papa John’s has ended its official sponsorship of the NFL three months after its CEO blamed sluggish sales on players kneeling during the national anthem.
In November, John Schnatter said “NFL leadership has hurt Papa John’s shareholders” and that the protests aimed at racial injustice in the States “should have been nipped in the bud a year and a half ago.” The company later apologized after white supremacists praised Schnatter’s comments and said: “We believe in the right to protest inequality and support the players’ movement to create a new platform for change. We also believe, as Americans, we should honor our anthem.”
We will work with the players and league to find a positive way forward. Open to ideas from all. Except neo-nazis — 🖕those guys. (3/3)
— Papa John's Pizza (@PapaJohns) November 15, 2017
Schnatter, who was the face of the pizza chain and appeared in adverts alongside stars such as Peyton Manning, left his role in January. On Monday, Papa John’s and the NFL released a joint statement, saying the pizza company would continue relationships with individual teams.
“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,” read the statement.
