i9 Sports

What i9 Sports does

i9 Sports is the nation's first and largest youth sports franchise, founded in 2003 and headquartered in Riverview, Florida. The company operates a B2B franchise model in which it sells protected, zip-code-based territories to approximately 250 franchise owners who in turn deliver youth sports leagues, camps, clinics, and after-school programs to families with children ages 3-14 across flag football, soccer, basketball, baseball, volleyball, ZIP Lacrosse, and cheerleading. Franchisees lease community venues (parks, schools, recreation centers) rather than owning real estate, enabling a low-overhead, home-based business with multiple playing locations within each territory. The franchise system is supported by proprietary technology including a cloud-based Franchise Manager dashboard for daily operations, roster and schedule builders, and a centralized Customer Service Center that handles registrations and customer inquiries on behalf of franchise owners.

The company's revenue mechanics operate on two levels. At the corporate level, i9 Sports earns initial franchise fees ($24,900 for the 10-year agreement or $1,500 paid at $500/month for the 5-year agreement), territory fees ($15,000), and ongoing royalties at 7.5% of monthly gross revenues plus a national brand fund contribution equal to the greater of 1% of gross or $275 per month. At the franchisee level, revenue is generated through participant registration fees, local sponsor advertisements, concessions, merchandise, and partnership fees. Recent product additions include i9 Sports Training Sessions, a weekday clinic-format program launched in September 2025, and a multi-channel official hydration partnership with Cirkul announced in the same month.

The corporate support organization numbers approximately 1,727 employees, encompassing both home-office staff and a large part-time seasonal workforce of site managers, sport instructors, and officials hired at the franchisee level. The company is privately held with no disclosed institutional investors or funding rounds, and founder Frank Fiume remains associated with the brand. i9 Sports holds 15 consecutive years of record revenue through 2019 and has earned sustained recognition on Entrepreneur's Franchise 500 (15 appearances), Franchise Times Top 200+ (13 consecutive years), and Inc. 5000 (7 consecutive years). Geographic reach spans 48 states with explicit operating restrictions in 15 states pending franchise registration.

Name

i9 Sports

Legal name

i9 Sports LLC

Website

https://i9sportsfranchise.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

i9 Sports is the nation's first and largest youth sports franchise, founded in 2003 and headquartered in Florida. It sells protected territories to roughly 250 franchise owners who deliver multi-sport leagues, camps, and clinics for children ages 3-14.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Sports Franchise

NAICS

Sports Teams and Clubs (711211), Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (713940)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth & Scholastic Sports Organizations (K–12, AAU, Club Leagues) (MPAKACAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Youth & Amateur Sports Tournaments (MPAGAMAF)

Keywords

• Youth sports franchise
• Youth sports leagues
• Youth sports programs
• Youth sports camps
• Youth athletic leagues

Headquarters

HQ city

Riverview

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Player Registration Fees: Primary revenue source from participant registration fees for youth sports leagues, camps, clinics, and after-school programs. Franchisees offer multiple sports at multiple locations four seasons per year, with players often staying for years and referring friends and siblings.
2. Local Sponsor Advertisements: Revenue from local business sponsorships within franchise territories, including promotional partnerships with local establishments.
3. Concessions and Merchandise: Additional revenue streams from concession sales and merchandise including uniforms and sports equipment.
4. Partnership Fees: Revenue from official partner relationships including special promotions and exclusive deals for i9 Sports families.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

i9 Sports sells and supports a youth sports franchise system, granting entrepreneurs protected multi-sport territories to operate co-ed leagues, camps, clinics, and after-school programs for children ages 3-14 across flag football, soccer, basketball, baseball, volleyball, ZIP Lacrosse, and cheerleading. Franchisees deliver year-round programming in leased community venues under the i9 Sports brand, supported by proprietary league management technology and a centralized customer service center, while i9 Sports collects initial franchise fees plus ongoing royalties.

Product overview

i9 Sports is the nation's first and largest youth sports franchise, operating a multi-sport platform offering leagues, camps, clinics, and after-school programs across seven sports (flag football, soccer, basketball, baseball, volleyball, ZIP Lacrosse™, and cheerleading) for children ages 3-14. The core offering centers on weekend leagues featuring once-a-week practice and games on the same day, supplemented by the new Training Sessions weekday skill-development clinics. The business operates through a proprietary Franchise Manager technology platform for league management and maintains a centralized Customer Service Center. Revenue derives from participant registration fees, with additional streams from sponsorships, concessions, and merchandise.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Youth Sports Franchise Opportunity
• Youth Sports Leagues
• Flag Football
• Soccer
• Basketball
• Baseball (includes T-ball) T-ball for ages 3-6 and youth baseball programs, expanding the franchise's youngest demographic reach.
• Volleyball Indoor or outdoor youth volleyball played in 4v4 or 6v6 format with small team sizes allowing maximum ball touches and skill development.
• ZIP Lacrosse Fast-paced, non-contact 3-on-3 lacrosse format for participants ages 5-14 with limited equipment requirements (no helmets or pads), trademarked as ZIP Lacrosse.
• Cheerleading Cheerleading program offered as part of the multi-sport franchise offering for children ages 3-14.
• Youth Sports Camps Summer and seasonal camps providing intensive sports instruction and play for youth participants.
• Youth Sports Clinics (After-School Programs) After-school programs providing structured sports instruction and skill development opportunities for children.
• i9 Sports Training Sessions Weekday clinic-style skill development sessions for kids ages 5+ focused on building core fundamentals, improving techniques, and boosting confidence through warm-ups, drills, and gameplay. Available in 3-, 5-, or 7-week blocks across flag football, soccer, basketball, baseball, and volleyball.

Quantifiable outcome

• Franchisees can grow from one location in first season to multiple locations in first year by establishing additional playing venues
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• CirkulminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 September 2025i9 Sports announced Cirkul as Official Hydration Partner in September 2025. Partnership provides i9 Sports families access to special offers, live sampling events at select locations, and exclusive deals on Cirkul water bottles and flavor cartridges. Cirkul's Sip cartridge system offers flavored water options with no sugar, calories, or artificial colors.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• National Flag Football: Recreational youth flag football league operating across multiple states. Competes with i9 Sports in the core flag football category but with a narrower sport offering and less mature franchise infrastructure.
• US Sports Camps (Nike Sports Camps): Operator of Nike-branded youth sports camps across multiple sports including basketball, soccer, tennis, and volleyball. Targets a more intensive/aspirational segment than i9 Sports but overlaps on the multi-sport, youth-focused customer base.

Direct peers

• NFL FLAG: Official flag football league of the NFL, organized through local operators and partnerships. Directly competes with i9 Sports' flagship flag football offering at the youth level, with the brand and licensing advantage of NFL affiliation.
• Soccer Shots: Youth soccer franchise serving ages 2-8 with programs for preschool and elementary-age children. Most direct comparable to i9 Sports: multi-unit franchise model, protected territories, home-based owner-operators, and a focus on age-appropriate instructional youth sports. Several i9 Sports executives (including President Matt Kurowski) previously worked at Soccer Shots.
• USA Sports Group: Operates youth sports franchises including i9 Sports' direct competitors such as Soccer Shots and TGA (Teach Golf to Kids). Same franchise industry and parent organization, providing a like-for-like benchmark on franchise economics and unit growth.
• Skyhawks Sports Academy: Multi-sport youth sports franchise offering baseball, basketball, flag football, soccer, golf, and volleyball for children ages 4-12. Operates a similar franchise distribution model with camps, clinics, and leagues, directly competing for the same family customer as i9 Sports.

Regional players

• Challenger Sports: International youth soccer camp and program operator with strong U.K. and Canadian presence, expanding into the U.S. Offers a British Soccer camp model with similar instructional/coaching positioning to i9 Sports' soccer offering.

Broad incumbents

• Pop Warner Little Scholars: Established youth football and cheerleading organization with decades of community presence. While focused on tackle football (vs. i9 Sports' non-contact flag football), it competes for the same family participants and seasonality.
• Little League Baseball: Long-established nonprofit youth baseball and softball organization with millions of participants globally. Competes with i9 Sports in baseball/T-ball but operates as a volunteer/community model rather than a paid franchise system, providing a structural alternative rather than direct franchise competition.
• YMCA: National nonprofit operating youth sports leagues, camps, and clinics through local YMCA branches. Largest provider of community youth sports in the U.S. and a primary competitor for the same families, though delivered through a membership/community model rather than franchise.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/i9Sports
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/i9SportsOpportunity
• Facebookfacebook.com/i9Sports
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/i9-sports
• Instagraminstagram.com/i9_Sports
• Pinterestpinterest.com/i9Sports

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

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 i9 Sports