D1 Sports Franchise, LLC D1 Sports

Every serious franchise investor eventually confronts the same core question: is there a business model that combines genuine consumer demand, recession-resistant demographics, recurring revenue, and a brand story compelling enough to sustain premium pricing? For those evaluating the athletic training and youth performance space, D1 Sports Franchise, LLC D1 Sports presents a data-supported case that deserves rigorous analysis. Founded in 2001 by Will Bartholomew in Nashville, Tennessee, the brand emerged from a deeply personal origin story. Bartholomew, a former University of Tennessee fullback who served as captain of the 1998 National Championship team, suffered a career-ending knee injury during his time with the Denver Broncos and channeled that experience into building the kind of elite training environment he had accessed as a Division I college athlete and professional. The formal franchising entity, D1 Sports Franchise, LLC, was incorporated on December 4, 2014, as a limited liability company in the State of Tennessee, with its principal business address at 7115 S. Springs Drive, Franklin, Tennessee 37067. D1 Training did not begin offering franchise opportunities until 2016, fifteen years after the brand's founding, a deliberate delay that allowed the company to refine its methodology before scaling. That discipline has paid off: by July 2025 the brand surpassed 150 operational locations, and by the close of 2025 the company reported operating over 165 training facilities nationwide. The brand has attracted endorsements from Peyton Manning, Jason Witten, LaDainian Tomlinson, Chris Paul, Tim Tebow, Von Miller, and Randall Cobb, and over 40 professional athletes have become franchise owners themselves, a form of third-party validation that is genuinely rare in the franchise industry. For investors evaluating a D1 Sports Franchise, LLC D1 Sports franchise opportunity, this analysis provides independent, data-grounded perspective rather than promotional framing.

The macroeconomic backdrop for athletic training franchises is among the most favorable in the broader fitness sector. The overall fitness industry is valued at approximately 33 billion dollars and is growing at a documented rate of 2.1 percent annually according to IBIS World data. More specifically relevant to D1's positioning, the youth sports market alone exceeds 19 billion dollars in addressable annual spending, a figure that reflects how dramatically American families have increased investment in competitive athletic development for children and adolescents. Current consumer behavior is accelerating several structural tailwinds that benefit this category: boutique fitness concepts are systematically gaining market share from traditional gyms, specialized performance training is commanding premium pricing that generalist fitness clubs cannot match, and parents of scholastic athletes are demonstrating consistent willingness to pay for science-backed programming over recreational alternatives. The D1 Sports Franchise, LLC D1 Sports model is specifically engineered to address these trends by operating in two parallel markets simultaneously, with approximately 61 percent of revenue derived from youth training programs serving athletes ages 7 through 18, and the remaining 39 percent generated by adult training clientele. This dual-market revenue architecture creates a natural hedge against demographic seasonality and economic fluctuation, because adult training demand continues during school-year breaks when youth enrollment patterns shift. The competitive landscape for athletic performance training remains meaningfully fragmented, with no single national chain holding dominant market share at scale, which means D1 is building brand equity in a category where first-mover advantages in local markets are still accessible. The brand has identified the Northeast and Mountain regions as significant untapped expansion territories where its current footprint is limited, representing concentrated geographic white space for prospective franchisees.

The D1 Sports Franchise, LLC D1 Sports franchise cost structure positions the brand as a mid-tier investment opportunity with multiple accessible entry points. The initial franchise fee is $59,500, with a cited general range of $45,000 to $60,000 for various circumstances including multi-unit agreements and veterans. Total estimated initial investment ranges from approximately $161,750 on the low end to $711,123 on the high end, with alternative source estimates providing ranges such as $156,450 to $743,500 and $195,000 to $664,000, the spread reflecting variables including real estate market conditions, facility condition at lease signing, local construction costs, and equipment procurement timing. When benchmarked against the fitness studio sub-sector, D1 Training's investment range is analytically interesting: its minimum entry point falls below the sub-sector average minimum investment of $282,119, while its maximum extends above the sub-sector average maximum of $557,302, meaning the D1 model offers a structurally lower floor than the typical fitness studio while still accommodating higher-investment builds in premium markets. The D1 Sports Franchise, LLC D1 Sports franchise fee of $59,500 sits at the top of the cited range, consistent with a brand that has demonstrated multi-year revenue performance data and is no longer an early-stage franchise concept. Ongoing fees include a royalty rate of 7 percent of gross revenues and an advertising royalty of 2 percent of gross revenues, bringing the combined ongoing fee obligation to 9 percent, which is within the normal range for fitness franchise concepts with strong brand infrastructure and centralized marketing support. Liquid capital requirements are cited at $250,000 by most sources, with some indicating a $150,000 minimum, and the minimum net worth requirement stands at $500,000. The franchise agreement carries an initial term of 10 years with renewal rights. D1 Training offers a veteran discount, and third-party financing is available through partners including FranFund, with the brand's established track record and tangible asset profile making it broadly compatible with SBA lending considerations.

Daily operations at a D1 Sports Franchise, LLC D1 Sports facility are structured around a 3,500 to 5,000 square foot training floor, a footprint that is lean enough to secure favorable lease terms in secondary retail and flex commercial spaces while providing sufficient square footage to run high-throughput group training sessions. The staffing model is built for efficiency: a single coach is capable of training up to 24 athletes simultaneously in a group training format, which drives favorable revenue-per-labor-hour ratios compared to traditional personal training models that are constrained to one-to-one ratios. The business model is formally classified as semi-absentee, meaning the facility can be manager-run without requiring the franchisee's daily physical presence, a structure that appeals to multi-unit investors and professionals with existing income sources who are building an investment portfolio rather than replacing a salary. The training methodology is not improvised or left to individual coach discretion: workouts follow a strategic 8-week training cycle designed by D1's National Head Speed and Strength Coach Panel, utilizing a periodization philosophy derived from the systems used by competitive and elite college and professional athletes. The 5-Star Training Program serves individuals from age 7 through adulthood, incorporating one-on-one instruction, group training, and semi-private workout formats to accommodate diverse client needs and price points. Corporate support covers the full operational lifecycle, including site selection assistance, facility build-out guidance, marketing support, staff training, and hiring frameworks. In 2025, D1 Training made a meaningful infrastructure investment by expanding its in-house construction project management team, which identified over 10 percent in cost savings for franchisees entering build-out, and internalized equipment procurement to create consistency and efficiency across the growing network. A proven pre-sales process is in place to allow franchisees to generate revenue before the facility doors officially open, reducing the cash burn during the ramp-up period. Territory structure provides a protective perimeter of approximately 5 miles around each selected site, preventing competing D1 locations from opening within that radius.

Item 19 financial performance data is not disclosed in the current Franchise Disclosure Document as represented in the database record. However, D1 Training has made meaningful financial performance representations available through its FDD filings and public statements, providing a substantive basis for unit economics analysis. For D1 franchised businesses, the average gross revenue in 2023 was reported at $808,219. As of April 2025, for D1 franchises that have been open for two or more years, the average gross revenue is $800,000, with the highest-performing location reporting $1.5 million in gross revenue. For locations in the one-to-two year operational window, the average gross revenue is $570,000, with a top performer at $1.3 million. These figures represent a meaningful ramp trajectory: franchisees can expect materially lower revenue in the first 24 months of operation, with stabilization occurring as the location builds its membership base and community reputation. The reported gross revenue figure of $716,366, cited in industry benchmarking analysis, represents 182 percent of the fitness studio sub-sector average of $392,853, a comparison that quantifies D1's revenue outperformance relative to its peer category. Earlier 2017 FDD data indicated average revenues of $542,272, with top locations exceeding $1 million annually, demonstrating consistent revenue growth at the average level over the subsequent eight years. The primary revenue streams for franchisees are recurring monthly memberships and one-on-one training packages, a mix that creates predictable subscription-style cash flow combined with higher-margin premium offerings. The average D1 Sports Franchise, LLC D1 Sports owner operates 2.5 territories, a statistic that reflects both the scalability of the model and the confidence that existing franchisees demonstrate through continued expansion within the network.

The D1 Sports Franchise, LLC D1 Sports franchise growth trajectory provides one of the cleaner unit-count stories in the fitness franchise category over the past decade. At the time franchising launched in 2016, the brand had essentially no franchised units to report. By 2017, 32 facilities were in operation. By June 2021, 33 performance centers were open with an additional nine locations awarded across 24 states. The pace then accelerated substantially: in 2022, D1 awarded nearly 90 territories and opened 23 new locations in a single year. The 100th D1 Training location opened in February 2024, a milestone reached roughly eight years after franchising began. By August 2024, 116 locations were in operation with over 250 more in various stages of development. As of April 2025, the brand operated 141 locations with 4 to 6 new units opening per month. In July 2025, D1 surpassed 150 locations, having opened 26 new facilities and awarded 32 new territories year-to-date in 2025 alone. By the close of 2025, the brand operated over 165 training facilities nationwide, having opened over 40 locations and executed more than 90 new franchise agreements during the calendar year. The company has set a stated goal of opening its 200th location in 2026. On the recognition side, D1 Training has made the Inc. 5000 list of America's fastest-growing private companies for four consecutive years, ranking 1,917 on the 2024 list, placing fourth among sports organizations and as the second-highest ranked fitness brand, with a documented three-year revenue growth rate of 272 percent. The brand also climbed 75 spots year-over-year on Entrepreneur's Franchise 500, marking its fourth consecutive year on that list. In 2025, D1 Training introduced a mobile app and a redesigned website to strengthen digital engagement, and Men's Health recognized D1 as a Top 30 Gym.

The ideal candidate for a D1 Sports Franchise, LLC D1 Sports franchise investment is not required to have a background in athletic training or sports science, but a genuine passion for athletic performance, youth development, or community-building provides meaningful operational advantages. The semi-absentee structure accommodates candidates who intend to hire a general manager and head coach while maintaining oversight from an ownership role, making this a viable opportunity for professionals, executives, and multi-unit operators who are building a portfolio of cash-flowing businesses. The average existing franchisee operates 2.5 territories, which signals that the model is designed and expected to scale beyond a single unit for operators who execute well in their initial location. Geographic focus for new development is heavily concentrated in the Northeast and Mountain regions, where D1's current presence is limited relative to the brand's strongest markets in Texas, Florida, and Tennessee, its home state. The franchise agreement term is 10 years with renewal provisions, providing a long operational runway for franchisees to build local brand equity and membership volume. Multi-unit investors are specifically supported through the brand's turnkey support infrastructure, which covers presales processes, marketing systems, staff training, site selection, and construction project management. The timeline from franchise agreement execution to facility opening varies based on construction complexity, real estate availability, and local permitting, but the pre-sales program allows franchisees to begin building membership revenue well before the physical doors open, compressing the effective payback timeline.

For investors conducting rigorous due diligence on athletic training franchise opportunities, D1 Sports Franchise, LLC D1 Sports presents a data-supported investment thesis built on three converging factors: a large and growing total addressable market anchored by the 19 billion dollar youth sports industry and the 33 billion dollar overall fitness sector, a proven unit economics profile with average mature-location gross revenues of $800,000 and top performers reaching $1.5 million, and a growth trajectory that moved from zero franchised locations in 2016 to over 165 operational facilities by the end of 2025. The brand's four consecutive appearances on the Inc. 5000 with a 272 percent three-year revenue growth rate, combined with athlete endorsements and professional athlete franchise ownership, creates a brand credibility profile that materially reduces the local marketing investment required to generate initial membership momentum. The dual-market structure serving both youth athletes ages 7 through 18 and adult performance clients creates diversified revenue streams that improve resilience across seasonal and economic cycles. The 9 percent combined royalty and advertising fee obligation, measured against average revenues of $800,000 for mature locations, represents an annual fee burden of approximately $72,000, a figure that must be weighed carefully within the context of facility-level EBITDA modeling during the due diligence process. PeerSense provides exclusive due diligence data including SBA lending history, FPI score, location maps with Google ratings, FDD financial data, and side-by-side comparison tools to help investors benchmark D1 Sports Franchise, LLC D1 Sports against competitive franchise concepts within the fitness and athletic training category. Explore the complete D1 Sports Franchise, LLC D1 Sports franchise profile on PeerSense to access the full suite of independent franchise intelligence data.