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Pizza Hut Exits Super Bowl Pre-Game Ads After Years of Presence
The restaurant chain is shifting its big game advertising strategy away from pre-game programming.
Jan. 30, 2026 at 3:07pm
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After more than a decade of running numerous ads during Super Bowl pre-game programming, Pizza Hut is exiting this advertising venue. The Yum Brands restaurant chain is not expected to appear in ad breaks during pre-game coverage on NBC for Super Bowl LX. Pizza Hut has been a mainstay of Super Bowl pre-game ads, running commercials for its menu for at least 10 years, but has pulled back in recent years.
Why it matters
Pizza Hut's exit from Super Bowl pre-game ads signals a shift in the company's advertising strategy around the big game. As consumer preferences have evolved, with less focus on traditional pizza chains, Pizza Hut is likely looking to reallocate its marketing dollars to other sports programming and events that may better reach its target audience.
The details
Pizza Hut ran as many as 20 pre-game ads on Fox in 2020 before pulling back in recent years, with just 7 pre-game ads last year. Thirty-second commercials during early pre-game programming typically cost $100,000 to $200,000, with ads closer to kickoff going for as much as $5 million. Pizza Hut is expected to have a presence at the Super Bowl, partnering with Barstool Sports at the stadium, but will not be advertising during the pre-game show.
- Pizza Hut has run Super Bowl pre-game ads for at least a decade.
- In 2016, Pizza Hut ran 12 Super Bowl pre-game ads on CBS.
- In 2020, Pizza Hut aired as many as 20 pre-game ads on Fox.
- In 2023, Pizza Hut ran 14 pre-game ads on Fox.
- In 2024, Pizza Hut ran 10 pre-game ads on CBS.
- In 2025, Pizza Hut ran just 7 pre-game ads on Fox.
The players
Pizza Hut
A Yum Brands restaurant chain that has been a mainstay of Super Bowl pre-game advertising for over a decade.
Chris Turner
The CEO of Yum Brands, who cited 'the need to take additional action to help the brand realize its full value' of Pizza Hut, which may be better executed outside the corporation.
Kevin Schimpf
The senior director of industry research at Technomic, a foodservice-industry consultancy, who noted that consumers have redirected more of their dollars away from 'legacy' categories like pizza and towards other cuisines.
Tom Brady
A football great who has been featured in a new ad campaign for Pizza Hut, promoting a $10 deal for the chain's 16-inch Big New Yorker pizza.
What’s next
Pizza Hut is likely to have a presence at the Super Bowl, teaming up with Barstool Sports at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California, where the big game will be played.
The takeaway
Pizza Hut's exit from Super Bowl pre-game advertising reflects a broader shift in consumer preferences away from traditional pizza chains, prompting the company to reevaluate its marketing strategy and explore new avenues to reach its target audience, such as partnering with sports media outlets and focusing on other major sporting events.
