Pizza Hut is dropping “Pizza” from its name for football season. For the next 25 weeks, the chain says customers can simply call it “Hut.”
The temporary branding change coincides with the 2026 NFL season. Pizza Hut said the word “hut” has been called before football snaps for generations, and now it is calling customers to place their next order.
“You can just call us HUT for the next 25 weeks,” the company wrote in an official social media post. The chain also changed social-media profile images and covered the word “Pizza” on at least one Plano, Texas, storefront with a football banner.
You can just call us HUT for the next 25 weeks 🏈 pic.twitter.com/yC6VrTGINh
— Pizza Hut (@pizzahut) August 19, 2026
The rebrand is meant to be short-lived. Pizza Hut is expected to return to its full name after the football promotion ends around the Super Bowl in February 2027.
The marketing push arrives during a major transition for the iconic chain. Yum! Brands agreed in June to sell Pizza Hut in two separate transactions worth a combined $2.7 billion.
LongRange Capital is set to purchase Pizza Hut’s business outside mainland China for about $1.5 billion. Yum China Holdings has already completed its $1.2 billion purchase of Pizza Hut’s mainland China operations.
Yum! said the LongRange deal remains on track to close this month, pending regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions. Across both transactions, Yum! expects about $2.3 billion in net proceeds after taxes, fees and closing adjustments.
“Under LongRange and Yum China, Pizza Hut will be well positioned for future growth with ownership that brings deep expertise in the restaurant industry,” Yum! CEO Chris Turner said. “Pizza Hut was built by the passion and dedication of our team members, employees and franchisees, and we’re excited for the next chapter.”
The sale follows a difficult stretch for Pizza Hut’s U.S. business. The chain accounted for about 12 percent of Yum!’s 2025 revenue and had recorded declining U.S. same-store sales for 10 straight quarters.
For now, the company is hoping a playful football-season makeover can generate attention for a brand that is preparing for a much bigger change in ownership. The name may be “Hut” through the NFL season, but Pizza Hut’s challenge is restoring sales and relevance after the deal closes.