Papa John’s International Inc., which earlier this year entered into an agreement with the NFL as the official pizza sponsor of Super Bowl XLIV, signed a three-year agreement through the 2012 season as the official pizza sponsor of the NFL and Super Bowls XLV, XLVI, and XLVII.

The deal is the largest in Papa John’s history and includes category exclusivity among delivery and carryout pizza brands.

“The National Football League is the most highly regarded and popular brand in sports, with a commitment to quality that matches perfectly with the high standards of Papa John’s,” says Andrew Varga, Papa John’s chief marketing officer. “Papa John’s has always prided itself as being the preferred pizza of football fans. This sponsorship takes it to the next level. This is by far the largest sports-related financial commitment that our brand has made and we believe this affiliation will greatly enhance our brand building efforts over the next three years.”

Earlier this year, with its sponsorship of Super Bowl XLIV, Papa John’s recorded its largest single sales day in the brand’s history, selling more than 900,000 pizzas at its 2,800 U.S. restaurants. Extending the NFL sponsorship will propel the brand deeper into the mindset of NFL fans everywhere, beginning with 2010 NFL Kickoff in September, all the way through Super Bowl XLIV on February 6, 2011, and beyond.

“We are excited to welcome the Papa John’s brand to the NFL as an official sponsor,” says Keith Turner, NFL senior vice president of media sales and sponsorship. “We have appreciated Papa John’s local sponsorships with NFL teams over the years. We welcomed them into the national fold at Super Bowl XLIV and are pleased to extend the relationship into a long-term sponsorship.”

As a sponsor, Papa John’s will be able to use NFL logos and trademarks in its advertising and marketing. These logos include the NFL shield logo, as well as those of marquee league events, such as the Super Bowl, Pro Bowl, and NFL Kickoff.