Dave Portnoy, founder of Barstool Sports and online pizza reviewer, has endorsed Pizza Hut's temporary rebranding to "Hut" for the upcoming football season, labeling the marketing strategy as "brilliant."
"At first, I didn’t really get it. But I’ll say this, Stuart. We do business with Pizza Hut. And we want them to spend lots of money with Barstool. So I think it’s a brilliant move. Whoever came up with that, I like it," Portnoy stated during an appearance on "Varney & Co." Friday.
Pizza Hut announced its 25-week name change, coinciding with the 2026 NFL season, on Wednesday. The company revealed the change via social media, stating, "You can just call us HUT for the next 25 weeks."
At a Plano, Texas, location, a banner featuring a football covered the "Pizza" portion of the restaurant's exterior sign. The company, headquartered in Plano, also updated its social media profile images to a logo that omits the word "Pizza."
Portnoy believes the rebranding is a smart move for the football season, noting, "They’re thinking smart. It’s football season. There it is, the football with the ‘Hut.’ And you know, they’re gonna spread this message. They gotta find some new media vehicles that cover football... and maybe do a little bit of an ad spend to let people know what’s going on so they don’t get confused."
When host Stuart Varney suggested Barstool Sports is well-positioned to benefit from the move, Portnoy responded, "You don’t say!"
Portnoy's comments suggest an effort to secure advertising revenue for Barstool Sports from Pizza Hut during the football season, leveraging the temporary name change as a promotional opportunity. This strategic alignment highlights the intersection of media, marketing, and sports promotion.
