Franchise Deep Dive: i9 Sports® Franchise Costs, Fees, Profit and Data

After spending the past 20 years inspiring kids through sports leagues, camps and clinics, this franchise has set itself apart in the booming youth sports industry.

By Luca Piacentini1851 Franchise Managing Editor

9:09AM • 05/20/23

LAST UPDATED: April 1, 2023

FRANCHISE WEBSITE: https://www.i9sportsfranchise.com/

NUMBER OF LOCATIONS: 160

REPORTED COST TO GET IN: $59,900 to $69,900

REPORTED ROI (Item 19): $596,796 (Average Registration Revenue)

i9 Sports® is one of the nation's largest youth sports franchises, with more than 3 million player registrations and nearly 160 franchise locations operating nationwide. Franchise owners offer youth sports leagues, camps and clinics for boys and girls ages 3 to 14 in today’s most popular sports, such as flag football, soccer, basketball, baseball, volleyball and lacrosse.

How Many i9 Sports Locations Are There?

When Frank Fiume, a baseball fanatic and native of Queens, New York, graduated from St. John’s University and began a career as a medical equipment sales rep, he knew that his true life’s purpose was to pursue a career in sports. So, in 1995, he created his own adult men’s softball league: ABA Sports. The startup company quickly grew to over 900 teams in just six years, making it the largest adult sports organization on Long Island.

In 2003, Fiume sold ABA to create i9 Sports, a franchise business that catapulted him to national recognition. Entrepreneur magazine ranked it as the No. 1 children’s fitness franchise, and it was featured on the Franchise 500 list 14 times, most recently ranked at No. 307 this year. Inc. magazine placed i9 Sports on its list of the 5,000 Fastest-Growing Private Companies for seven years, while Franchise Times has placed the brand in the Top 200+ for 13 years.

Today, with over 3 million registrations and nearly 160 franchise locations, i9 Sports is the nation’s largest multi-sport provider focused solely on high-quality, community-based youth sports programs.

What Is the i9 Sports Business Model?

i9 Sports franchises, located across the country, offer age-appropriate instruction for boys and girls ages 3-14 in flag football, soccer, basketball, baseball, ZIP Lacrosse and volleyball. Franchisees are committed to providing age-appropriate instruction, making sports fun for kids and convenient for today’s busy families.

The way to win with an i9 Sports franchise is to establish multiple playing venues, offering multiple sports for four seasons a year. Franchisees don’t need to own any real estate, and most staff members work part-time as needed each season, keeping costs down.

How Much Can i9 Sports Franchise Owners Make?

i9 Sports’ Financial Performance Representation reflects the historical average and median of the registration revenue and certain key performance indicators, including the number of venues operated; the number of sports offered; and the market penetration rate of certain i9 Sports units for the period January 1, 2021 through December 31, 2021 (“the Measurement Period”).

Chart 1—Registration Revenue and Key Performance Indicators

Average Registration Revenue: $596,796
Lowest Registration Revenue: $142,573
Highest Registration Revenue: $1,780,943
Median Registration Revenue: $484,633
Total Number of Units: 76
Average Number of Venues: 4.6
Average Number of Sports: 4.5
Market Penetration Rate: 3.2%

Chart 2—Average Registration Ramp by Number of Venues Operated

Three Venues

Average Registration Revenue: $380,226
Lowest Registration Revenue: $142,573
Highest Registration Revenue: $737,831
Median Registration Revenue: $351,619
Number of Units Included: 24
Number and Percentage That Met or Exceeded Average: 12 (50%)

Four Venues

Average Registration Revenue: $498,157
Lowest Registration Revenue: $288,178
Highest Registration Revenue: $981,613
Median Registration Revenue: $444,567
Number of Units Included: 22
Number and Percentage That Met or Exceeded Average: 7 (32%)

Five Venues

Average Registration Revenue: $676,858
Lowest Registration Revenue: $477,781
Highest Registration Revenue: $1,009,009
Median Registration Revenue: $624,842
Number of Units Included: 12
Number and Percentage That Met or Exceeded Average: 5 (42%)

Six Venues

Average Registration Revenue: $756,284
Lowest Registration Revenue: $286,301
Highest Registration Revenue: $1,331,083
Median Registration Revenue: $800,672
Number of Units Included: 9
Number and Percentage That Met or Exceeded Average: 5 (56%)

Seven or More Venues

Average Registration Revenue: $1,149,193
Lowest Registration Revenue: $758,322
Highest Registration Revenue: $1,780,943
Median Registration Revenue: $1,118,357
Number of Units Included: 9
Number and Percentage That Met or Exceeded Average: 4 (44%)

Chart 3—Combined Revenue by Number of Franchise Units Owned

As of December 31, 2021, i9 sports had 33 multi-franchise unit owners. Chart 3 below represents the combined registration revenue earned by 25 of the 33 multi-franchise unit owners. Those 25 multi-franchise unit owners were: (i) open and operating two or more franchise units for more than 12 months as of December 31, 2021; and (ii) operating an average of at least three venues over four seasons, and operated four core sports within at least one of their franchise units during the 2021 calendar year.

Two Franchise Units Owned

Average Registration Revenue: $1,083,121
Lowest Registration Revenue: $552,620
Highest Registration Revenue: $2,182,248
Median Registration Revenue: $967,310
Number of Multi-Franchise Unit Owners Included: 19
Number and Percentage That Met or Exceeded Average: 7 (37%)

Three or More Franchise Units Owned

Average Registration Revenue: $2,447,435
Lowest Registration Revenue: $1,183,739
Highest Registration Revenue: $5,788,836
Median Registration Revenue: $1,807,503
Number of Multi-Franchise Unit Owners Included: 6
Number and Percentage That Met or Exceeded Average: 2 (33%)

Part 2—Sales-to-Cost Analysis

Part 2 of this item reflects financial information that was self-reported by i9 Sports’ franchisees to a third-party consultant that i9 Sports engaged to provide financial benchmarking for the i9 Sports Network. The chart below represents the financial information that was self-reported by 44 i9 Sports franchises for the 12-month period, beginning October 2020 through September 2021. All 44 franchise units were open and operating at least 12 months as of September 2021.

Number of Franchise Units Included: 44
Average Number of Venues: 3.9
Average Number of Sports: 4
Market Penetration Rate: 2.8%
Revenue: $422,380 (100.0%)

Cost of Goods Sold

Player Expense: $54,284 (12.9%)
Venue Expense: $34,868 (8.3%)
Other Cost of Sales: $24,477 (5.8%)
Total Cost of Goods Sold: $113,629 (26.9%)
Gross Profit: $308,751 (73.1%)

Operating Expenses

Personnel Expense: $101,011 (23.9%)
Marketing Expense: $13,726 (3.2%)
Other Expense: $33,259 (7.9%)
Total Operating Expense: $147,996 (35.0%)
Royalty Fees: $31,678 (7.5%)
Operating Profit: $129,076 (30.6%)

How Much Does It Cost to Open an i9 Sports?

i9 Sports franchise costs, based on Item 7 of the company’s 2022 FDD:

Franchise Fee: $24,900
Territory Fee: $15,000
Grand Opening Advertising: $5,000 to $7,000
Insurance: $1,000 to $1,500
Legal and Accounting Services: $800 to $1,500
Furniture, Equipment, Inventory and Supplies: 3,000 to $4,000
Training Expenses: $1,200 to $2,000
Additional Funds—Three Months: $9,000 to $14,000
Total Estimated i9 Sports Franchise Costs: $59,900 to $69,900

What Is the Franchise Fee for i9 Sports?

The Initial Franchise Fee at i9 Sports is $24,900. This is the upfront fee that must be paid when opening an i9 Sports franchise.

Who’s On i9 Sports’ Leadership Team?

Frank Fiume—Founder
Brian Sanders—President
Kim Armellino—VP Finance & Administration
Chris Snyder—VP of Operations

What Helpful Articles Can I Read to Learn More About i9 Sports?

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Franchise Deep Dive: i9 Sports® Franchise Costs, Fees, Profit and Data

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