Franklin Sports

What Franklin Sports does

Franklin Sports, founded in 1946 and headquartered in Stoughton, Massachusetts, is a privately held sporting goods manufacturer with a multi-category product portfolio anchored by premium batting gloves and pickleball equipment. The company is the Official Batting Glove Provider of Major League Baseball and produces lines including CFX Pro, Powerstrap, Powerstrap Infinite, CFX FP, and Pro Classic batting gloves, with proprietary construction technologies such as Tri-Curve and Quad-Flex and premium materials sourced from Pittards. Its pickleball franchise spans the X-40 and X-26 balls (X-40 designated the Official Ball of the US Open Pickleball Championships), the C45 Carbon Fiber Paddle Series, ACV Pro Pickleball Shoes, and signature lines with professional players Anna Leigh Waters and Parris Todd. The product portfolio also covers volleyball (Kerri Walsh Jennings Collection), softball, licensed fan merchandise across MLB, NFL, NBA, NHL and MLS, and family recreational games.

Name

Franklin Sports

Legal name

Franklin Sports Inc.

Website

https://franklinsports.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1946

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Franklin Sports is a privately held, 1946-founded sporting goods manufacturer whose core products are official MLB-licensed batting gloves and pickleball equipment, sold directly to consumers, teams, and through league licensing partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sporting Goods Manufacturing

NAICS

Sporting and Athletic Goods Manufacturing (33992), Sporting Goods Retailers (45911), Sporting and Recreational Goods and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers (423910)

SIC

Sporting & Athletic Goods, Nec (3949)

akta.pro primary industry

Team Sports Equipment & Uniforms Retail (CRAMABAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Baseball & Softball Equipment Retail (CRAMAEAA), Team & League Branded Merchandise Retail (Non-Apparel) (CRAMAOAF), Team Sports Protective Gear & Sports Medicine Retail (CRAMAEAJ), Team Sports Equipment & Apparel Distribution (CRAOAJAA)

Keywords

• Sporting goods manufacturer
• Batting gloves
• Pickleball equipment
• Licensed sports merchandise
• Team sales sports

Headquarters

HQ city

Stoughton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Batting Gloves Sales: Core revenue stream from baseball and softball batting gloves including CFX Pro, Powerstrap, and custom gloves. Products sold directly through e-commerce and through retail partners. Multiple price points from entry-level to premium professional models.
2. Pickleball Equipment: Growing revenue stream including paddles (carbon fiber, fiberglass, polymer), pickleballs (X-40, X-26), nets, bags, shoes, and accessories. Features professional athlete signature lines.
3. Team Sales: Bulk orders for teams, clubs, and schools with discounted pricing. Orders of 12+ gloves qualify for team pricing. Includes team customization and sizing programs.
4. Custom Products: Custom batting gloves and pickleball paddles with color/text customization. Custom batting gloves priced at $55-$70 per pair. Extended lead time of 5-7 weeks for custom orders.
5. Fan Shop / Licensed Merchandise: Licensed sports merchandise including MLB, NFL, NBA, NHL, MLS, college teams. Includes apparel, uniforms, footballs, basketballs, and collectibles.
6. Family Games and Recreation: Indoor and outdoor games including cornhole, badminton, bocce, croquet, disc golf, table tennis, air hockey, foosball, and other recreational products.
7. Replacement Parts: Replacement parts for sporting goods products including baseball equipment, youth sports, outdoor games, indoor games, soccer, and street hockey.
8. Clubhouse Rewards Program: Loyalty program where members earn points for purchases (1 point per $1 spent) redeemable for reward vouchers. Tiered membership structure with exclusive benefits.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels12 records

Core offering

Franklin Sports manufactures and sells sporting goods equipment across multiple categories, with core products including batting gloves (the Official Batting Glove of Major League Baseball) and pickleball equipment (carbon fiber paddles, X-40/X-26 balls, shoes, bags, nets). The company also offers volleyball products, protective gear, fielding gloves, and family recreational games. Distribution is primarily through direct-to-consumer e-commerce (franklinsports.com) and a dedicated B2B/team sales portal (b2bc.franklinsports.com) for bulk orders with team pricing and customization.

Product overview

Franklin Sports is a sporting goods manufacturer offering a diverse portfolio of sports equipment across multiple categories, with core products including batting gloves (the official batting glove of Major League Baseball), pickleball equipment (paddles, balls, shoes, nets, bags, and accessories), volleyball products, and various other sports equipment including baseball gear, soccer, basketball, football, hockey, golf, lacrosse, youth sports, and family games. The company also operates an e-commerce platform with loyalty programs (Clubhouse Rewards), team sales programs, and custom product design services. Batting gloves span multiple series including CFX Pro, Powerstrap, Powerstrap Infinite, and CFX FP, while pickleball offerings include carbon fiber paddles (C45 series, Signature series), official balls (X-40, X-26), and specialized footwear. Franklin Sports partners with professional athletes for signature product lines and offers customization options for batting gloves.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CFX Pro: Premium batting glove line made with digital cabretta leather, the #1 choice in Major League Baseball. Features Tri-Curve Technology and seamless palm construction.
• Powerstrap
• Powerstrap Infinite
• CFX FP
• PRT DST Protection Series
• Clubhouse Rewards
• Pro Classic
• X-40
• C45 Carbon Fiber Paddle Series

Products and services

• CFX Pro Batting Gloves Premium professional batting gloves made with Pittards Digital sheepskin leather, featuring Tri-Curve Technology and seamless palm construction. The #1 choice in Major League Baseball.
• Powerstrap Batting Gloves High-quality batting gloves with revolutionary enhanced wrist closure system engineered for a locked-in, snug fit. Worn by MLB players including Jose Altuve and Joey Votto.
• Powerstrap Infinite Batting Gloves Batting gloves with 2x durability and enhanced wrist support featuring long cuff wrap for added stability. Available in custom configurations starting at $70 per pair.
• CFX FP Batting Gloves Fastpitch-specific batting gloves designed with female-specific fit for softball players, featuring tailored hand patterns and scaled sizing.
• Custom Batting Gloves Customizable batting gloves allowing customers to design their own colors and add personalized text, available across multiple series including Powerstrap, Powerstrap Infinite, CFX Pro, and CFX FP. Custom orders priced at $55-$70 per pair with 5-7 week lead time.
• X-40 Outdoor Pickleballs Official ball of the US Open Pickleball Championships, trusted at tournament level and available in packs of 3, 12, 36, 50, and 100.
• C45 Carbon Fiber Paddle Series Premium carbon fiber pickleball paddles designed for performance, available in multiple configurations including Hayden, Tempo, and Dynasty series.
• ACV Pro Pickleball Shoes Specialized footwear designed for pickleball players with court-specific traction and support. Priced at $129.99.
• PRT Protective Gear Series Protection series including leg guards, hand guards, elbow guards, and sliding gloves for baseball players.
• Volleyball Products (Kerri Walsh Jennings Collection) Professional volleyball equipment including pro quad volleyballs and elite beach volleyball products developed with 3-time Olympic gold medalist Kerri Walsh Jennings.
• Pro Classic Batting Gloves Heritage batting glove line with one-piece ultra-comfortable pro-grade spandex hand back and seamless Pittards Digital Sheepskin leather palm. Originally designed with Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt.
• X-26 Indoor Pickleballs Indoor pickleballs available in packs of 3, 12, and 100 for indoor court play.
• Parris Todd C45 Series Pickleball Paddle Signature pickleball paddle developed with professional player Parris Todd, featuring 13.25MM core thickness and MaxGrit surface technology.
• Anna Leigh Waters Signature Pickleball Paddle Series Signature C45° paddle series developed with top professional pickleball player Anna Leigh Waters.
• Anna Leigh Waters Signature Pickleball Pro Series Bag II Signature pickleball bag developed with professional player Anna Leigh Waters, featuring professional-grade storage and organization.

Quantifiable outcome

• Official batting glove provider for Major League Baseball - the highest level of professional baseball
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature10 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• Major League Baseball (MLB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFranklin Sports is the Official Batting Glove Provider of Major League Baseball. This partnership positions Franklin as the premier batting glove brand at the highest professional level of baseball. The relationship involves licensing of MLB branding on products and exclusive supplier status for MLB events.
• USA PickleballcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFranklin Sports is an official partner of USA Pickleball, the governing body for the sport. This partnership validates Franklin's position as a leading pickleball equipment manufacturer and provides access to official event sponsorship opportunities.
• US Open Pickleball ChampionshipsflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerFranklin X-40 pickleballs are the official ball of the US Open Pickleball Championships, the premier tournament in pickleball. This represents top-tier tournament validation for Franklin's pickleball equipment quality.
• Kerri Walsh JenningsflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner3-time Olympic Gold Medalist volleyball player with Kerri Walsh Jennings Collection including Pro Quad Volleyball and beach volleyball products. Partner quote emphasizes shared values of integrity, family, playfulness, and excellence.
• Anna Leigh WatersflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerTop professional pickleball player with signature Anna Leigh Waters C45° Paddle Series and signature Pickleball Pro Series Bag II. Major endorsement driving brand awareness in the pickleball market.
• Parris ToddcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerProfessional pickleball player with Parris Todd C45° Series signature paddle. Partnership targets the growing professional pickleball player demographic.
• Jose AltuveflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerMLB player and Powerstrap batting glove endorser. Altuve represents the professional athlete partnership strategy linking Franklin gloves to MLB success.
• Ronald Acuna Jr.flagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerMLB player and CFX Pro batting glove endorser. Acuna's elite status in MLB provides high-visibility product endorsement.
• Mike SchmidtcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHall of Fame MLB player who helped design the Pro Classic batting glove. This co-development partnership brought professional insight to product design.
• PittardscoreTechnology or IntegrationSupplier of premium Digital Sheepskin leather used in CFX Pro, Powerstrap, and Pro Classic batting gloves. Pittards leather provides the quality materials central to Franklin's premium positioning.
• Various NFL, NBA, NHL, MLS TeamscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLicensing partnerships with major professional sports leagues for Fan Shop merchandise. Products include officially licensed uniforms, apparel, footballs, and collectibles.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Wilson Sporting Goods: Major sporting goods manufacturer with overlapping baseball (A2000, Raptor glove lines), pickleball paddles, and team-licensed equipment. Directly comparable multi-sport product breadth and DTC distribution model.
• EvoShield: Specialist in protective sports gear including sliding shorts and compression protection for baseball/softball. Most direct competitor to Franklin's PRT DST Protection Series.
• Selkirk Sport: Pure-play pickleball paddle and equipment brand with strong DTC presence and pro-tour sponsorship depth. Direct challenger to Franklin's pickleball growth pillar, especially in premium carbon-fiber paddles.
• Rawlings: Direct competitor in baseball equipment including batting gloves, fielder's gloves, and team-level MLB licensing. Closest direct competitor to Franklin's core batting-glove business and competing MLB-side licensing footprint.
• JOOLA: Pickleball paddle specialist with growing tournament presence and pro player endorsements. Competes head-to-head with Franklin's C45 and Signature Carbon paddle lines for premium market share.
• Easton: Baseball and softball equipment manufacturer with overlapping batting glove, bat, and protective gear categories. Competes in the same team sales and tournament-level supply channels as Franklin.

Emerging players

• Paddletek: Pickleball paddle specialist focused on USAPA-approved tournament paddles at accessible price points. Competes with Franklin's mid-tier paddle SKUs for amateur tournament players.

Broad incumbents

• Mizuno: Established global sporting goods manufacturer with notable batting gloves (Pro Series) and a deep baseball presence. Competes in the premium batting glove tier alongside Franklin.
• Under Armour: Major athletic apparel and footwear brand with adjacent batting glove and team sports offerings. Threatens Franklin's premium positioning via brand-marketing scale and athlete endorsement budgets.
• Louisville Slugger: Iconic baseball equipment manufacturer owned by Wilson. Competes in team-level baseball outfitting channels and adjacent gloves/protective gear categories relevant to Franklin.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/franklinsports
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/franklin
• Facebookfacebook.com/franklinsports
• Instagraminstagram.com/franklinsports
• Pinterestpinterest.com/franklinsports
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/franklin-sports

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Franklin Sports