• by Sara Guaglione , November 15, 2018

Oath’s Yahoo Sports and RYOT Studio, the branded content studio launched last year, partnered with Pizza Hut to produce a sponsored video series featuring NFL players visiting local schools.

The two-part video series, called “Hometown Heroes,” connects Yahoo Sports’football fandom to Pizza Hut’s “Book It!” Initiative, which encourages reading among more than 14 million students in 37,000 K-6 grade schools, Marinn Jackson, Oath's head of premium sales strategy, told Publishers Daily.

The episodes, produced by RYOT Studio, run around four minutes.

“This two-part series taps into viewers’ love of the game, their local team and community, and sheds light on the more private side of two aspirational football figures,” Jackson said.

The first episode, which went live last night on Yahoo Sports, features New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara at the Willie Hall Recreation Center. He surprises a group of young football players with new gear and a pizza party.

The second episode, out on the 28th, stars Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Tyler Lockett as he visits a local middle school with new books and pizza.

“This series combines three of our biggest passion points — encouraging literacy, celebrating the football fan experience and using the power of pizza to bring people together,” stated Marianne Radley, Chief Brand Officer, Pizza Hut, U.S.

“Pizza Hut has been a longtime partner of Oath and Yahoo Sports,” Jackson said.

The brands recently partnered during this year's Super Bowl, digitizing the fan game "Squares Pick'Em" within the Yahoo Sports Fantasy Football app.

Fans from around the U.S. spent more than 9 million minutes playing the game, and 70% played on their mobile device or tablet, Jackson said.

“Hometown Heroes” will live exclusively on Yahoo Sports. Short clips will also be featured across its social channels.