It's only business: Super Bowl champ Peyton Manning name drops Budweiser TWICE and hugs Papa John after victory - thanks to his ownership stake in both companies

Peyton Manning made two brands very happy after his Super Bowl win Sunday night.

The Denver Broncos quarterback was interviewed on the field after his team's win and then again minutes later as they received the Vince Lombardi trophy, and in both instances said he was looking forward to celebrating his victory by drinking lots of Budweiser.

These plugs amounted to roughly $3.2million in free advertising for the company, who quickly put out a statement insisting they had no idea the NFL star would be mentioning the brand.

In between these two interviews Manning also shared a hug and a kiss with Papa John's owner John Schnatter, a nice bit of airtime for the pizza company during the most-watched American television event of the year. 

And while these acts may not have been paid for, they still benefit Manning in a big way as he owns two Anheuser-Busch distributors in Louisiana and 21 Papa John's franchises in the Denver area.

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Thirsty? Peyton Manning twice mentioned he would like a Budweiser after winning the Super Bowl on Sunday

Budweiser quickly put out a statement insisting the NFL star had mentioned them off his own back

The beers are on us: Budweiser offered to send 50 cases of beers to the Denver Broncos after their win

Sticking true to his sponsors, Manning's first hug after winning Sunday's game was from Papa John himself, John Schnatter

The Budweiser mentions led some to believe that Manning might be retiring as NFL players are not allowed to endorse alcohol beverages or brands following a ban put in place by Commissioner Roger Goddell close to a decade ago. 

However, when asked whether he planned on retiring, the 39-year-old said: 'I’ll take some time to reflect. I’ve got a couple of priorities first.

'I want to go kiss my wife and my kids. I want to go hug my family. I’m going to drink a lot of Budweiser tonight, I promise you that.'

In a later interview he made similar comments, before adding: 'And I’m going to drink a lot of beer tonight. Budweiser.'

Manning, who already does adverts for Nike, Nationwide, Gatorade and Papa John's pizza, was not paid to mention Budweiser, the beer's parent company Anheuser-Busch said.

Lisa Weser, head of marketing at Budweiser, tweeted: 'Hi Internet. For the record, Budweiser did not pay Peyton Manning to mention Budweiser tonight. We were surprised and delighted that he did.'

Advertising experts at Apex MG Analytics said his two mentions were worth $1.6million each to the company. 

Beer Business Daily reported two years ago that the Broncos quarterback owns a piece of two Anheuser distributors in his native Louisiana.

The link between the football star and the international beverage company first emerged in 2014 after Manning made a similar comment referencing Bud Light, which also is the official sponsor of the NFL.

While addressing reporters after the Broncos' victory over the San Diego Charges in the AFC's Divisional round, Manning said:' What's weighing on my mind is how soon I can get a Bud Light in my mouth.' 

Peyton Manning owns 21 Papa John's franchises in the Denver area and is the face of the brand

Twitter users refused to believe that Manning had not been paid by Budweiser to mention the brand

Dozens of tweets poured in, including one which said: 'Budweiser cutting that blank check to Peyton Manning'

However, the internet was not having it Sunday night, insisting that he must have been paid by the company. 

Dozens of tweets poured in, including one which said: 'Budweiser cutting that blank check to Peyton Manning.' 

Eric Rosenthal tweeted: 'How much did @Budweiser pay Peyton Manning for that!'

While Will Reeve Jr wrote: 'Gets prepped for Peyton Manning Budweiser commercials. #SB50'

It is not the first time Manning has spoken of his love for a particular brand of beer.

Back in 2014 he was asked whether the thought of retiring from the NFL was playing on his mind.

He replied: 'No, it’s really not. What’s weighing on my mind is how soon I can get a Bud Light in my mouth. That’s priority number one.' 

As for Papa John's, who have long been the official pizza sponsors of both the NFL and the Super Bowl, Manning signed a deal to own 21 stores in Denver back in 2012 shortly after it was revealed he would be the new face of the brand.

The terms of the deal were never disclosed, so it is not clear if Manning paid for the franchises or they were part of his compensation for working with the company.