---
title: "Fitness Ventures Acquires 22 Crunch Gyms, Becoming System’s Biggest Franchisee"
url: https://burnaze.com/article/04392642-e677-4680-bb78-4793db3a070a
source: "Athletech News"
original_url: https://athletechnews.com/fitness-ventures-acquires-22-crunch-fitness-gyms-biggest-franchisee/
author: "Courtney Rehfeldt"
category: "Gym & HVLP"
industry: "Fitness"
segment: "Gym & HVLP"
topics: ["Finance & M&A"]
published: 2026-05-20T01:01:52.000Z
modified: 2026-10-31T13:16:32.956Z
image: https://athletechnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/FITNESS_VENTURES_Crunch_Fitness_Des_Moines_Pre_Opening_Party-e1751387824177.webp
---

# Fitness Ventures Acquires 22 Crunch Gyms, Becoming System’s Biggest Franchisee

**TL;DR:** Fitness Ventures has acquired 22 Crunch gyms from Harman Fitness, becoming the largest franchisee in the Crunch system with a total of 115 gyms across 30 states. The acquisition will involve over $50 million in facility upgrades across California and Texas.

*By Courtney Rehfeldt, originally published in Athletech News on 2026-05-20. [Read the original](https://athletechnews.com/fitness-ventures-acquires-22-crunch-fitness-gyms-biggest-franchisee/).*

## Key facts

- Fitness Ventures acquired 22 Crunch Gyms
- 115 locations across 30 states
- Over $50 million for facility upgrades

## Story

The group has acquired 22 clubs from Harman Fitness, a Los Angeles-based franchisee, in a deal that vaults Fitness Ventures to the top of the Crunch system in terms of unit count and puts CR Fitness Holdings, another leading franchisee group, in second place.

Fitness Ventures’ platform now spans 115 locations across 30 states, with the group on track to top 130 by year’s end.

## Acquisition details

The Harman portfolio covers gyms in California and Texas. The PE-backed Fitness Ventures said more than $50 million will flow into facility upgrades across those two markets in the coming months. All 22 clubs will continue operating under the Crunch banner.

Fitness Ventures founder and CEO Brian Hibbard called the acquisition a major milestone, coming ten years after the company signed its first lease.

“We believe we are just getting started,” Hibbard said. “We truly believe we are redefining what a successful fitness franchise operation can look like.”

## Market competition

The deal sets up a clear race at the top of the Crunch system.

CR Fitness Holdings, led by CEO Tony Scrimale alongside fellow industry veterans, currently operates nearly 100 clubs across Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Texas and Tennessee, with plans to expand into Arizona. CR Fitness is on track to reach 110 locations nationwide by the end of the year. Last fall, global investment firm Sixth Street announced a $350 million strategic growth investment in CR Fitness, with North Castle Partners remaining the largest shareholder.

Other Crunch franchisees, including Undefeated Tribe, JF Fitness and Fit Fusion, are also expanding at a rapid pace.

The franchisee land grab is happening on top of an already surging demand for budget-friendly gyms. Crunch signed an estimated 4.27 million square feet of leases in 2025, up nearly 50% year over year, and opened 91 new clubs, according to CoStar data. The high-value, low-price (HVLP) brand is targeting roughly 100 openings globally this year systemwide, and membership has cleared three million.

## Entities

- unit expansion (topic)
- Fitness (sector)
- Athletech News (publication)
- private equity (topic)
- Courtney Rehfeldt (person)
- Crunch (company)
- CR Fitness Holdings (company)
- Tony Scrimale (person)
- gym industry (topic)
- franchisee acquisition (topic)
- North Castle Partners (investor)
- Brian Hibbard (person)

---
Originally reported by Courtney Rehfeldt, Athletech News (https://athletechnews.com/fitness-ventures-acquires-22-crunch-fitness-gyms-biggest-franchisee/). Summarized by Burnaze (https://burnaze.com/article/04392642-e677-4680-bb78-4793db3a070a).