Papa Johns will not renew their sponsorship of the EFL Trophy, with league officials now seeking a new backer.
The pizza firm signed a three-year deal worth around £1m a season in 2020 but have decided against extending the partnership.
EFL chiefs believe that this year’s final between Bolton and Plymouth could act as a powerful sales brochure with a bumper crowd of around 70,000 expected at Wembley.
The competition, which sees Premier League and Championship Under 21 and academy sides go up against clubs from Leagues One and Two, features a prizepot of around £3m.