Touchdowns + Sweet Rolls: King’s Hawaiian Brings Flavour To Canadian Football

Game day just got a whole lot tastier. King’s Hawaiian—famous for its irresistibly soft, sweet rolls—is teaming up with NFL Canada as an Official Sponsor for the 2025–26 season, uniting fans across the country over football, food, and fun. From sliders at tailgates to snacks at home viewing parties, the brand’s Hawaiian-inspired baked goods are set to be the MVP of every spread. Food partnerships in sports represent authentic brand integrations because they tap into the communal nature of game-day experiences, according to Jason Ziernicki from Cleatz.com. “King’s Hawaiian’s CFL expansion is strategic. They’re entering a market with established tailgating culture but offering something distinctly different that appeals to a younger demographic.” We caught up with Pete Hanson, Senior Brand Manager, to chat about this winning partnership, the magic of King’s Hawaiian, and why food and football are the perfect pairing. —Noa Nichol

Football and food go hand in hand—what’s your ultimate King’s Hawaiian game day creation that could rival even the most exciting touchdown?  

King’s Hawaiian is thrilled that football season is back! There’s nothing better than enjoying sliders while watching the game. There are so many creations you can make on gameday that it’s hard to choose, but some of my favorite gameday recipes are the Big Game Pizza Sliders and Buffalo Chicken Sliders – there are also the classic ham and swiss sliders! The good news is – with King’s Hawaiian, you can’t go wrong and there is something for everyone! 

King’s Hawaiian is all about bringing people together—if you could host a dream tailgate with any three NFL players (past or present), who’s on your guest list and what sliders are you serving them?  

Tough to narrow to three so I’ll do my best with five. Since I’m a Packers fan I’ve got to go with their QB1, Jordan Love. I’d also love to invite Bengals QB Joe Burrow, former Vikings DE Jared Allen, former Seahawks RB Marshawn Lynch, and Tua Tagovailoa from the Dolphins. For a group with appetites that big, we’re going to need a few different recipes! I would go with the Bacon Cheeseburger Sliders and the always popular Pulled Pork Sliders!

Vancouverites love their sushi, Montrealers their smoked meat, Torontonians their peameal bacon—if you had to design a “Canadian City Slider Series” with King’s Hawaiian rolls, what flavours would make the cut?  

What’s great about King’s Hawaiian is that you can truly make anything a slider – yes, even sushi! Each city can feature their favorites all on King’s Hawaiian bread. If I were to add one flavor that I think would be a big hit in Canada, it would be one of our most viral creations – King’s Hawaiian French Toast. The subtle sweetness of our bread lends itself perfectly to French Toast, made even better with some Canadian Maple Syrup, of course. Try the recipe here! 

Beyond the stadium, where’s the most unexpected or fun place you’ve seen fans enjoy King’s Hawaiian rolls—and do you have a personal favourite memory of sharing them during a big game?  

King’s Hawaiian has been enjoyed by families in the US for over 75 years. Through that time, we’ve been fortunate to be a part of millions of holiday meals, gamedays, and countless other occasions. Over that time, we’ve seen consumers use our rolls in all sorts of ways. One of the most interesting ways I’ve seen people eat our rolls is by slicing our 12 pack all they way through, loading it up with their favorite sandwich ingredients, then putting the tops back on, putting the whole 12 pack back in the tray and the bag it came in, and bringing the bag on the road with them! 

Fans across Canada are fired up for this NFL season—how do you see King’s Hawaiian helping turn ordinary living rooms into MVP-level viewing parties?  

We are so excited to be kicking off our partnership with NFL Canada this year! We have a lot planned during the season to help spread the word and encourage people across Canada to elevate their gameday meals with King’s Hawaiian. From our Original Hawaiian Sweet Rolls to our Savoury Butter Rolls, we have something for all football fans. Follow us on Instagram @kingshawaiian for recipe inspiration and what else King’s Hawaiian is cooking up all season long.  

Win! A King’s Hawaiian NFL Prize Pack!

Congrats Manuel V. of Waterloo, ON, who will receive sweet and savoury rolls from King’s Hawaiian to enjoy on game day! Please note: if you are the winner, you will receive a DM (direct message) in Instagram directly from @vitadailymedia. Please be wary of fake accounts, which often use similar handles with an extra or missing letter, number or symbol. We will never ask for a payment or for your credit card number, and we will never ask you to click through a link. If you are unsure whether you have been contacted, via Instagram, by us or a fake account, email us before responding.