i9 Sports Reaches Growth Milestone
Bolstered by the growing demand for a home-based franchise that focuses on kids and sports, the nation’s largest youth sports league franchise, Tampa Bay based i9 Sports®, recently announced the opening of their 200th franchise location – a milestone only reached by a minority of franchise systems.
“We congratulate Anthony Venable and Chris Croxton on the opening of i9 Sports – NW Denver County Colorado and for the distinction of being our 200th franchise location,” said Brian Sanders, President of i9 Sports. “Crossing over the 200-location mark is not only a testament to the vast need communities have for an inclusive, high quality youth sports experience like ours, but also to the power of our unique franchise model, and its attractiveness to people who want to do something more meaningful with their lives.”
Of the estimated 3,000 different franchise systems currently operating in the U.S., only 16% of them ever reach the 100 unit level, while fewer still meet or exceed the 200 unit level (Frankart Global, FranData and the Franchise Times).
The i9 Sports Model
With over 3.5 million registrations nationwide since franchising in 2003, i9 Sports® is the country’s largest multi-sport provider focused solely on high-quality, community-based youth sports programs. The brand operates sports leagues, camps, and clinics in 35 states where families can choose from sports such as soccer, basketball, flag football, baseball, volleyball and more.
Venable and Croxton purchased the 200th i9 Sports franchise for a low initial fee in exchange for the rights to operate seven of the most popular youth sports in a protected territory using the time-tested i9 Sports model. Like all new i9 Sports franchisees, they will receive in depth classroom and field training, a dedicated business coach, industry leading proprietary software to manage his leagues, proprietary sport programming guides and coaching aids, a marketing game plan focused on increasing brand awareness, and bulk volume discounts on everything from insurance to jerseys. “We are thrilled to be part of this major milestone within the i9 Sports franchise! We can’t wait to get out there and start representing such a positive brand within the Northwest Denver community,” said Venable and Croxton.
More Growth on the Horizon
“We’re excited to be recognized as one of the leading franchises in the U.S. and are grateful to be able to help our owners find such a meaningful way to earn a living. Beyond the growth in the number of franchise locations, we saw record growth in existing league enrollments last year, and plans to extend that growth are already being implemented,” says Sanders. “There is an enormous market for a unique offering like ours. Our momentum is not only strong, it’s accelerating as more aspiring owners discover what we offer.”
Including the 200th location, i9 Sports has opened 36 new locations in the past two years and is projected to open another 23 locations by the end of 2022. The brand is on track to sell out the country in the next 3-5 years.
