i9 Sports Franchise Deep Dive: Costs, Fees and Profit Data

Franchise overview

i9 Sports is a children’s sports league franchise offering safe, inclusive athletics for kids ages three to 14. The brand prioritizes safety, equal playing time and skill development with kids, holding no drafts or tryouts for qualification. And for families, the i9 Sports model concentrates practices and games on the same day, streamlining attendance and making participation more straightforward.

i9 Sports was founded by Frank Fiume, a former medical sales representative. Fiume first started his own men’s softball league, looking to bring a more organized, less competitive option to the market. He saw how this concept thrived, allowing everyone to enjoy their sport while also having fun and making friends, and he began to consider if a similar approach could be applied to youth sports.

In 2003, i9 Sports was founded. The brand has since grown to over five million player registrations nationwide and continues to serve children who are looking to have fun, enjoy playing time and stay engaged in their sport for years to come.

Mission: Help kids succeed in life through sports with a fun, inclusive approach to youth athletics that prioritizes the emotional well-being of the child.

Vision: To be the clear leader in recreational youth sports for kids ages three to 14.

i9 Sports offers a more convenient, more inclusive youth sports experience. Rather than a hyper-competitive environment, i9 Sports encourages fairness in playing time, centering fun and sportsmanship rather than a focus on winning.

• Customer Service Support: A call center ensures local customers’ calls never go unanswered, ensuring they can get the information they need and complete registrations in a timely manner — avoiding missed calls and phone tag for franchisees.

• Low-Cost, High-Margin Model: i9 Sports can be operated from home, and each franchise leverages part-time and volunteer team members. This keeps costs low while serving a high-demand market.

• Community Involvement and Support: Franchisees can become pillars of their communities, offering a sought-after athletics experience that is more streamlined and inclusive.

Franchise opportunities

Some states (shaded gray in the map below) are entirely sold out, but i9 Sports is offering franchise opportunities in many states nationwide. Visit the website for an interactive map that displays available territories in each blue state.

Initial Costs: The estimated initial investment required to begin operation of an i9 Sports franchise ranges from $36,500 to $69,900, depending on the length of the agreement. The 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) breaks these costs down as follows:

10-Year Agreement

Five-Year Agreement

Initial Franchise Fee: For a five-year agreement, i9 Sports assesses a $1,500 franchise fee, paid in $500 per month increments for the first three months after signing the agreement.

For a 10-year agreement, i9 Sports assesses a $24,900 franchise fee, paid in a lump sum upon the signing of the agreement.

Ongoing Fees: According to the 2025 FDD, i9 Sports franchisees are responsible for the following ongoing payments and fees:

ROI Potential: i9 Sports makes revenue representations based on the performance of 264 measured outlets in 2024.

Franchise support

i9 Sports offers comprehensive franchisee training through classroom, webinar and on-site sessions covering culture development, marketing, operations, financial management, website maintenance and business planning.

i9 Sports equips franchisees with a geo-targeted local marketing strategy, empowering them to increase visibility and boost revenue.

i9 Sports’ Customer Service Center is a key differentiator. Staff at the center answer calls and manage things like registrations and customer questions. A proprietary software allows these team members to view details about each unique franchise, so they can answer questions and discuss offerings as if they were a local employee.

According to Entrepreneur, i9 Sports requires a net worth of $100,000 and $50,000 in liquidity.

i9 Sports franchisees enjoy a flexible operational model that allows for good work-life balance and a customized schedule on a day-to-day basis, but the brand does position the opportunity as a full-time one.

i9 Sports does not publicize any funding assistance or name any preferred lenders.

“Being in the network now five years, I can honestly say that there is no way that I would have been able to grow as fast as I’ve grown without the tools that i9 Sports® provided from a marketing perspective. It really gave me a game plan that I could go out and execute, and then add and subtract what I liked and what I didn’t like for my particular area.”

Justin Cannon, Texas franchisee

“i9 Sports fills a need. It’s the perfect fit for the single parent, the dual-working parents, basically any parent who values family time together over athletic prowess. Although at i9 Sports® we are a sports league and we believe athletics is so important, we do realize the bigger picture and our goal is helping kids succeed in life through sports. So, for parents who want sports for their children but don’t want it to overtake their lifestyles, i9 Sports® is the perfect solution.”

Greg Weinbrum, Florida franchisee

Market and competition

According to Project Play, “the average U.S. sports family spent $1,016 on their child’s primary sport in 2024.” This represents a 46% increase since 2019, showing just how much the youth sports market has grown. With a sustained emphasis on wellness and parents looking for ways to get their kids involved, athletic extracurriculars are increasingly popular.

i9 Sports focuses on a fun, inclusive sports experience for children, leveraging a same-day practice and play model that makes involvement more convenient for families.

Primary Competitors: i9 Sports primarily competes with local rec leagues and club teams. Franchise competitors offering youth athletics include Soccer Shots, Skyhawks Sports and USA Ninja Challenge.

1. “Get to Know Each Other” Call: Prospective franchisees can fill out a form on i9 Sports’ home page to download a franchise report and schedule a quick call to ask preliminary questions and get a brief overview of the requirements and process.

2. “Owning an i9 Sports Franchise” Webinar: If each party decides to move forward, prospective franchisees will attend a webinar, hosted by the brand’s Franchise Development Director. Here, franchisees will learn what it’s like to own an i9 Sports franchise on a day-to-day basis, what work-life balance looks like, how franchisees can impact their communities, the marketing strategies used and software and training available to franchisees.

3. FDD Review: The Franchise Development Director will walk you through the Franchise Disclosure Document, then you will receive a copy to review independently.

4. Qualification and Territory Definition: Prospective franchisees will get more specific details about ownership. The franchisor will also review financial qualifications and pinpoint the prime territory size. At the end of the call, prospective franchisees will be prepared for calls with existing owners and provided a tentative date for Discovery Day in Tampa.

5. Speak with Existing Franchisees: Prospective owners are provided contact information for all current i9 Sports franchisees. This is an opportunity to speak with as many as they’d like about the experience of running an i9 Sports franchise and ask any questions necessary to better understand the opportunity.

6. Discovery Day: This is when prospective franchisees meet with the home office staff and management team face-to-face. Discovery Day is the time to get any final questions answered, and it sets the stage for both parties to make the decision about whether to move forward with the partnership.

7. Execute the Agreement: After Discovery Day, prospective franchisees receive word of the franchisor’s decision. If a franchise has been awarded, the franchisee and franchisor work together to execute the agreement and begin the onboarding process.

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