LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning is the newest franchisee for Papa John’s, the Official Pizza Sponsor of the NFL. Manning and Papa John’s will co-own 21 restaurants in the Denver area.

“Having Peyton as a franchisee is a huge win for our brand, especially for our customers in Denver, where our business has never been better,” said John Schnatter, Papa John’s founder, chairman and CEO.

“It’s a smart investment now and will be long after I’m done playing football,” Manning said. “I’m particularly impressed by John’s drive to make everything about Papa John’s better along with his ambition and plan to continue growing the brand around the world. Also, Papa John’s being the Official Pizza of the Denver Broncos makes this even more exciting.”

Papa John’s, which is in its third year of a multi-year sponsorship with the NFL, is also the Official Pizza of the Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons, Baltimore Ravens, Dallas Cowboys, Denver Broncos, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Miami Dolphins, New York Giants, New York Jets, Philadelphia Eagles, Seattle Seahawks, St. Louis Rams, Tennessee Titans and Washington Redskins. Manning’s involvement with Pap John’s began last year.

Papa John’s International Inc. calls itself the world’s third-largest pizza company. Operating restaurants in 32 countries on five continents, this business opened its 4,000th restaurant in September.