Peyton Manning's Papa John's sell-off beat the NFL, which ended its partnership with the pizza chain two days after the former Denver Bronco's quarterback sold his stake in 31 Denver-area stores, The Score reported.
Manning invested in the stores six years ago as part of a joint venture with Papa John's International.
The sale was confirmed by Peter Collins, a spokesperson for the pizza chain, who explained that Manning's stake had been acquired by an existing Papa John's franchisee who planned to rehire all existing employees, The Denver Post noted.
"The franchisee that purchased the market is excited about the future of our business and assumed ownership of all Papa John's locations in the Denver, Co., market on Feb. 26, 2018," Collins said in a statement, per The Denver Post.
Collins told Fox News that the former quarterback would stay on as an official Papa John's spokesperson and brand ambassador as part of his long-term agreement with the brand.
Shortly after news of Manning's sale broke, Papa John's announced its decision to end its sponsorship of the NFL after several years.
"While the NFL remains an important channel for us, we have determined that there are better ways to reach and activate this audience," CEO Steve Ritchie said, according to CNN.
The announcement came after the pizza chain received criticism for blaming its slumping sales on the way the league handled the protests by players who knelt during the National Anthem last year.
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