Little Caesars and the NFL announced a multi-year partnership Tuesday that names the pizza company as the league’s official pizza sponsor. The deal is one of Little Caesars’ highest-profile partnerships to date.
The NFL previously held pizza sponsorships with Papa John’s from 2010-18 and Pizza Hut from February 2018 to 2022. Little Caesars, headquartered in Detroit, currently holds the naming rights to Detroit Red Wings and Detroit Pistons‘ arena in Midtown. The company is owned by the Ilitch family, who also owns the Red Wings and Detroit Tigers.
The agreement offers Little Caesars a set of exclusive marketing rights designed to connect the brand with the NFL, and both companies will unveil components such as “social media games, new products, new packing and unique promotions” before the start of the 2022 season and throughout the sponsorship, according to a Tuesday news release.
[ Little Caesars’ Hot-N-Ready pizza now has more pepperoni and slightly higher costs ]
“We’re thrilled to welcome Little Caesars to the NFL family,” Renie Anderson, chief revenue officer and executive vice president of NFL partnerships, said in the release. “With a focus on quality and convenience, Little Caesars offers unmatched value for our fans, and we look forward to working together to positively impact communities across the United States.”
Little Caesars was founded in 1959 by Mike and Marian Ilitch as a single, family-owned restaurant in Garden City. The company has grown into the third-largest pizza chain in the world, trailing only Domino’s Pizza and Pizza Hut.
Mike Ilitch bought the Red Wings in 1982 and purchased the Tigers 10 years later. Construction began on Little Caesars Arena in 2015 and it opened in September 2017.
The company was the title sponsor for the college football bowl game played at Ford Field from 2009-2013.
Additionally, the partnership includes a charitable giving component from Little Caesars and the NFL. The deal will bring the Little Caesars Love Kitchen to key NFL event cities and provide “ongoing post-event community support” during the course of the sponsorship, per the press release. This includes the 2024 NFL draft which will be held in Detroit.
“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,” Little Caesars president and CEO Dave Scrivano, “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.”