In this FDD Talk post, you’ll learn the following:
- Section I – Background information on the i9 Sports franchise opportunity, including relevant news updates
- Section II – Estimated initial investment for an i9 Sports franchise, based on Item 7 of the company’s 2020 FDD
- Section III – Initial franchise fee, royalty fee, marketing fee, and other fees for an i9 Sports franchise, based on Items 5 and 6 of the company’s 2020 FDD
- Section IV – Number of franchised and company-owned i9 Sports outlets at the start of the year and the end of the year for 2017, 2018, and 2019, based on Item 20 of the company’s 2020 FDD
- Section V – Presentation and analysis of i9 Sports’ financial performance representations, based on Item 19 of the company’s 2020 FDD, including information on the:
- 2019 average, highest, and lowest revenue for the i9 Sports franchise units open and operating 7 or more venues, 5 to 6 venues, 3 to 4 venues, 1 to 2 venues, and all 130 i9 Sports franchise units open and operating for more than 12 months as of December 31, 2019
- 2019 average and median registration fee for the 130 full-time i9 Sports franchises that were open and operating for more than 12 months as of December 31, 2019 and operating an average of at least 1 venue for 3 seasons, as well as 2 core sports during the 2019 calendar year
- average and median registration revenue growth of “same franchise units” for the 130 full-time i9 Sports franchises that were open and operating for more than 12 months as of December 31, 2019 and operating an average of at least 1 venue for 3 seasons, as well as 2 core sports during the 2019 calendar year
- total registration revenue, team equipment, officiating costs, venue costs, site managers and paid instructors, liability insurance and background checks, total cost, and net registration income obtained from the franchisor’s Approved Supplier price lists as of December 31, 2019, and information as provided by the 1 company-owned location
Section I – Background Information
14 Things You Need to Know About the i9 Sports Franchise
Chooses SiteSeer Pro for Its Franchise Development Software
1. In mid-August 2020, SiteSeer Technologies, creator of SiteSeer Professional site selection software and Void Analysis Pro, announced a new subscriber to the SiteSeer platform, i9 Sports. i9 Sports will use SiteSeer Professional’s full suite of analytics tools for franchise organizations (and retail companies and other chain businesses), including SiteSeer’s maps, trade areas, reports, and customer analytics. i9 Sports is ranked in Entrepreneur’s prestigious list of Top 500 Franchises and was named in Franchise Dictionary Magazine’s Top 100 Game Changers in 2019. The company has franchise operations in 34 states.
2. Brian Sanders, CEO of i9 Sports, said, “We’re looking forward to putting the SiteSeer toolset to work as we continue to expand our franchise network. Tools like SiteSeer’s Automated Territory Optimization Model (ATOM) got our attention, as we are continuously striving to identify opportunities in new markets and those that weren’t as visible in the past. But what has really impressed us has been how responsive SiteSeer’s team has been to our needs and their willingness to customize the platform to help us achieve our goals. Their client service has been excellent. As for the software, there are many things we can do in SiteSeer in one click that took many additional steps with our prior software.”
3. Lance Blick, director of client services for SiteSeer Technologies, said that SiteSeer is excited to help i9 Sports continue its growth trajectory. Blick added, “The SiteSeer professional services team is all about helping companies reach their potential. i9 Sports is a company that’s dedicated to bringing a love of sports to communities everywhere, and their track record of success speaks for itself. We’re pleased that they’ve selected SiteSeer as their franchise site selection solution and look forward to seeing how the tool helps them optimize franchise territories and replicate their success in new markets.”
Appoints New VP of Operations
4. In early January 2021, i9 Sports announced the appointment of Chris Snyder, a respected industry veteran with deep ties to the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) and the national effort to reshape the future of youth sports, to the company’s vice president of operations position.
5. “Chris’ extensive experience in youth sports, coach development, and sports programming will exponentially increase our capability to lead the reinvention of youth sports across the nation,” said Brian Sanders, president and CEO of i9 Sports. “His positive, enthusiastic leadership style and proven ability to drive change in the industry make him an invaluable addition to our i9 Sports team.”
6. Based on providing an experience that focuses on fun, quality instruction, good sportsmanship, and convenience for families, i9 Sports has served over 2.5 million kids in over 975 communities across the nation. Despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, i9 Sports added 31 new franchise locations in the last two years and expects even stronger growth in 2021. This success can be attributed to the organization’s unique model that enables individuals to make a difference in the lives of children and earn a living doing something they love.
7. As the vice president of operations, Snyder will oversee the franchise system’s operational processes, sports programming, and coaching resources, helping franchisees achieve their financial goals by delivering an unparalleled experience to the kids and families they serve.
8. Snyder said, “I am beyond excited to be part of this amazing organization and look forward to working with current and future i9 Sports franchise owners to help them succeed. There is no other youth sports organization that even comes close to delivering the experience already provided by i9 Sports, and we’re going to take it to a whole new level! The brand is poised for massive growth and my goal is to continue building a brand that will one day serve every U.S. community so all kids have access to a high-quality sports experience.”
9. Before joining i9 Sports, Snyder served as director, coaching education for the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC), where he led the coaching education department working with all 50 National Governing Bodies of Sport and numerous Paralympic sports organizations. Under Snyder’s leadership, the department’s focus was to build the best coaches and sport programming in the world. The team emphasized coaching education, leadership, pipeline development, high-performance coaching methods, and best in class programming.
10. He has also been influential in driving quality coaching across the country through efforts like implementing the USOPC Quality Coaching Framework, which was established to illustrate the key elements of quality coaching to better the athlete sport experience in the United States.
11. Snyder’s roots in youth sports run deep as he led the American Development Model (ADM) program for the USOPC, which instituted long-term athlete programming across the 50 National Governing Bodies of Sport. He was a founding member and leader in the Aspen Institute’s Project Play and spearheaded the USOPC’s joint effort with Nike to create the national How to Coach Kids program. This background makes Snyder the perfect fit for his new role at i9 Sports.
Company History
12. i9 Sports was founded in 2003 by Frank Fiume in Tampa Bay, Florida. Fiume already had a decade of experience running an adult sports league, which he started in 1995 while living in Long Island, New York. When Fiume and his wife moved to Florida and started a family, Fiume began wondering if his sports league concept could apply to youth sports. After doing some research, Fiume discovered many issues with youth sports, including a destructively competitive, highly political culture that was turning sports into a negative experience for kids.
13. Fiume set out to change this atmosphere and settled on flag football as the first sport he wanted to offer. He started offering this program in 1998, which eventually led to the development of i9 Sports. Franchising started that same year in 2003. Over the next decade, i9 Sports continued to grow around the United States and in 2016, Fiume sold the company to his employees. However, Fiume still serves as a member of the company’s board of directors.
Entrepreneur’s Franchise 500
14. i9 Sports ranked No. 408 on Entrepreneur’s 2021 Franchise 500 list.
Section II – Estimated Costs
- Please click here for detailed estimates of i9 Sports franchise costs, based on Item 7 of the company’s 2020 FDD.
Section III – Initial Franchise Fee, Royalty Fee, Marketing Fee, and Other Fees
- Please click here for detailed information on i9 Sports’ initial franchise fee, royalty fee, marketing fee, and other fees, based on Items 5 and 6 of the company’s 2020 FDD.
Section IV – Number of Franchised and Company-Owned Outlets
Franchised
2017
- Outlets at the Start of the Year: 132
- Outlets at the End of the Year: 129
- Net Change: -3
2018
- Outlets at the Start of the Year: 129
- Outlets at the End of the Year: 142
- Net Change: +13
2019
- Outlets at the Start of the Year: 142
- Outlets at the End of the Year: 158
- Net Change: +16
Company-Owned
2017
- Outlets at the Start of the Year: 1
- Outlets at the End of the Year: 1
- Net Change: 0
2018
- Outlets at the Start of the Year: 1
- Outlets at the End of the Year: 1
- Net Change: 0
2019
- Outlets at the Start of the Year: 1
- Outlets at the End of the Year: 1
- Net Change: 0
Section V – Financial Performance Representations (Item 19, 2020 FDD) and Analysis
- As of December 31, 2019, there were 158 i9 Sports franchises and 1 company-owned location.
Part 1 – Average Revenue of Franchise Units
- The following charts in Part 1 set forth information reported by i9 Sports’ 130 full-time franchise units that were (i) open and operating for more than 12 months as of December 31, 2019; and (ii) operating an average of at least 1 venue for 3 seasons, as well as 2 core sports during the 2019 calendar year (a season is defined as a distinct period of time during which one or more separate programs or leagues are operated).
- The information presented is for the period January 1, 2019 through December 31, 2019 (the “Measurement Period”).
Franchise Units Open and Operating 7 or More Venues as of December 31, 2019 (11 Franchise Units)
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