It’s a Holiday! Papa John’s Kicks off Inaugural National Football Month Celebration

For decades, January has been an unofficial holiday for football fans across the country. It’s the most exciting month of the football season, with division titles being decided, bowl championships being won and the top NFL teams vying for a coveted spot in the Super Bowl.

Today, Papa John’s makes it official, by declaring January "National Football Month.” Papa John’s will celebrate the month with its "Be in the House with Papa at Super Bowl XLIV” consumer sweepstakes, a specially designed pizza box, weekly online pizza offers and the launch of a Website, www.nationalfootballmonth.com, that will serve as a terrific online source for all things football.

Super Bowl XLI Champion Coach Tony Dungy will serve as honorary Chairman of the inaugural National Football Month and Papa John's will help raise money for his charity, All Pro Dad, through a special online offer during January. Dedicated to helping men become better fathers, All Pro Dad will receive $1 for every All Pro Dad Special ordered online at www.papajohns.com in January.

"The calendar is full of interesting holidays, but until now, void of the one celebration that makes the most sense to American sports fans: National Football Month,” said Dungy. "Football and pizza bring families together, and I am happy to partner with Papa John’s to celebrate this long overdue holiday.”

When it comes to the biggest football month of the year, the numbers speak for themselves. In the 31 days of National Football Month, there will be approximately 172 hours of televised football, leading to an estimated 350 slices of pizza sold per second during the month.

"National Football Month is an immediate cure for the post-holiday blues experienced during January,” said Andrew Varga, Papa John’s Chief Marketing Officer. "There may not be any more presents to open or leftovers to eat, but that doesn’t mean the fun has to stop. There is no better time than National Football Month to gather friends and family to enjoy your favorite game and your favorite Papa John’s pizza.”

While online at www.nationalfootballmonth.com, fans of all ages can find ways several ways to participate in National Football Month. Highlights include:

• "Be in the House with Papa at Super Bowl XLIV” Sweepstakes (Dec. 28 - Jan. 24): one lucky winner will have a chance to receive a trip for two to Super Bowl XLIV, including airfare, accommodations and game tickets, along with free Papa John’s pizza for a year
• Video messages from Tony Dungy, Super Bowl XLI Champion and honorary chairman of National Football Month
• Donation to All Pro Dad, dedicated to helping men become better fathers, for every All Pro Dad special ordered online at papajohns.com during the month of January
• Formal petition to make National Football Month an official holiday on the 2011 calendar
• Party planning menus to help you throw the best Super Bowl party ever
• Interactive polls regarding fans’ favorite National Football Month moments, players, coaches, mascots, cheerleaders, fight songs, and more
• Comprehensive calendar of games during National Football Month
• Exclusive discounts on Papa John’s products
• National Football Month fun facts and historical stats

"Unlike ‘National Return Shopping Carts to the Supermarket Month’ (February) or ‘National Roller Skate Month’ (October), we can all agree that National Football Month is the kind of holiday both worth recognizing and celebrating,” added Varga. "Today’s announcement marks a perfect close to Papa John’s year-long 25th anniversary celebration in 2009, with National Football Month this January serving as a great springboard into 2010.”

National Football Month By The Numbers

• Estimated total attendance at games during National Football Month: 2,814,221
• Approximate weight of trophies hoisted during National Football Month: 208 lbs.
• Estimated average score of games during National Football Month: 31-18
• Estimated economic impact per host city during National Football Month: $10.6 - 171.5 Million
• Estimated number of players in bowl games during National Football Month: 4,076
• Estimated "cooler dumps” after games during National Football Month: 21
• Estimated number of Jumbotron proposals during games in National Football Month: 10

About Papa John’s

Headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, Papa John's International, Inc. (NASDAQ: PZZA) is the world's third largest pizza company. For nine of the last 10 years, consumers have rated Papa John's No. 1 in customer satisfaction among all national pizza chains in the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI). Papa John's also was honored by Restaurants & Institutions Magazine (R&I) with the 2009 Gold Award for Consumers’ Choice in Chains in the pizza segment, ranked first among pizza companies in the 2008 Brand Keys Customer Loyalty Engagement Index, and was named 2007 Pizza Today Chain of the Year. For more information about the company or to order pizza online, visit Papa John's at www.papajohns.com.

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