Gold's Gym vs i9 Sports

Compare franchise fees, investment range, royalties, SBA lending performance, unit growth, and Item 19 transparency with a permanent shareable URL.

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Gold's Gym
Fitness
Investment
$1.8M to $4.5M
Franchise fee
$40,000
Item 19 status
Full Disclosure
Units
158
i9 Sports
Fitness
Investment
$60K to $70K
Franchise fee
$24,900
Item 19 status
Full Disclosure
Units
245
Lower entry cost
Leans right
Based on minimum initial investment.
Better disclosed economics
Even
Uses Item 19 availability and transparency status.
Lower SBA default risk
Leans right
Treat low-loan brands carefully, sample size matters.
MetricGold's Gymi9 Sports
Franchise Fee
$40,000$24,900
Min Investment
$1.8M$60K
Max Investment
$4.5M$70K
Royalty Rate
5.0%7.5%
Ad Fund Rate
2.0%2.0%
Total Ongoing Burden
Royalty plus ad fund when available.
7.0%9.5%
Median Revenue (Item 19)
$1.8M$412K
Cash-on-Cash Return
Estimated when revenue and margin assumptions are available.
8.7%79.4%
Payback Period
11.5 yrs1.3 yrs
Revenue per Dollar Invested
0.58x6.35x
Franchised Units
158245
1-Year Net Unit Change
119
Net Unit Growth Rate
0.6%8.7%
Net Closure Rate
Net closure proxy based on disclosed unit change.
N/AN/A
SBA Default Rate
2.3%0.0%
SBA Loan Count
Use this to judge whether SBA default data is statistically meaningful.
5122
Average SBA Loan Size
$1.3M$188K
Item 19 Status
Full DisclosureFull Disclosure
Has Item 19
✓ Yes✓ Yes
Data Quality Score
100100

What stands out

  • Gold's Gym opens at $1.8M to $4.5M, while i9 Sports ranges from $60K to $70K.
  • Gold's Gym shows an Item 19 disclosure; i9 Sports shows an Item 19 disclosure.
  • Gold's Gym has 158 franchised units versus 245 for i9 Sports.

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Last updated: April 2026