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FRANCHISE RESALES

Buy a Destination Athlete Franchise

Destination Athlete is a home-based franchise providing equipment, apparel, fundraising, and performance solutions to youth, high school, and college athletic teams across the United States. Founded in 2008 and headquartered in Lebanon, New Jersey, the brand positions itself as a one-stop resource for coaches and athletic programs, handling everything from custom team uniforms and spirit wear to training gear and fundraising platforms.

Franchisees operate from a home office within an exclusive protected territory, typically a county or group of counties. Rather than running a retail storefront, the business is built on relationship-based group sales: franchisees connect directly with school athletic departments, club leagues, and coaches to supply and manage their seasonal apparel and equipment needs.

The brand works with a network of over 100 vendor relationships, giving franchisees access to a wide range of products and pricing that would take years for an independent dealer to assemble. The model is designed for low overhead and flexible operation, scalable from part-time to full-time as the owner grows the territory.

Latest Resales

  • There are currently no Destination Athlete resales available
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Why buy a Destination Athlete Franchise?

The youth sports equipment and apparel market offers franchisees a built-in recurring demand cycle: teams reorder uniforms, gear, and spirit wear each season as rosters turn over. Franchisees with established local relationships build on existing account history with each new school year, making territory penetration a lasting competitive advantage.

Those considering whether to buy a Destination Athlete franchise gain immediate access to the brand’s network of over 100 vendor relationships, national marketing infrastructure, SEO support, franchisee intranet, and purchasing co-ops. These resources would take an independent dealer years to build. The Operation Athlete programme awards a free franchise annually to a qualifying military veteran and extends a 15% discount to all veterans and active military members, supporting a community ethos that plays well in local sports markets.

Destination Athlete Franchise Costs & Information

Based on 2024 data reported in the 2025 FDD

  • Brand Profile

    • Year Founded

      2008

    • Franchising Since

      2008

    • New Startup Cost

      $28,300 – $120,110

    • Avg. Resale Price

      Contact us for details

  • Franchise Fees

    • Initial franchise Fee

      $20,000 - $50,000

      for new territories

    • Transfer Fee

      $15,000

    • Royalty Fee

      5%

      of Gross Revenue

    • Marketing Fee

      2%

      of Gross Sales

  • Unit Performance

    • Total Units *

      280

    • New Units Opened *

      21

    • Units Transferred *

      20

    • Avg. Unit revenue *

      Not Disclosed

    * Based on 2024 data reported in the 2025 FDD

Destination Athlete – Additional  Information

  1. Training & Support

    Destination Athlete provides franchisees with 40+ hours of classroom training and 80+ hours of on-the-job instruction, covering product knowledge, sales processes, and territory management. Ongoing support includes national advertising, SEO management, franchisee intranet access, purchasing co-ops, and a dedicated customer care centre. The brand's relationships with over 100 vendors are part of the ongoing franchisee support infrastructure. Buyers of an existing Destination Athlete unit should confirm what initial training and system access the franchisor provides to incoming ownership at the time of a resale transfer.

  2. Ideal Owner

    The ideal Destination Athlete franchisee is community-connected and sales-oriented, with genuine enthusiasm for youth sports. Day-to-day work centres on building and maintaining relationships with coaches, athletic directors, school administrators, and league officials, so strong interpersonal skills and comfort with consultative selling matter more than specific industry background. The model suits operators who prefer a flexible home-based schedule, and it can be scaled part-time or full-time depending on how actively the owner builds the territory.

  3. Recognition & Awards

    Destination Athlete has earned consistent recognition from Entrepreneur Magazine. In 2026, the brand ranked #220 in the Entrepreneur Franchise 500 and #1 in Sports Equipment & Apparel, was named #12 in Entrepreneur's Top Low Cost Franchises, and ranked #6 in the Recreation category in Entrepreneur's inaugural Top 10 Franchises in Every Industry. The brand ranked #254 in the 2025 Franchise 500 and #328 in the 2024 Franchise 500, both years as #1 in its category. Destination Athlete is a member of the International Franchise Association's VetFran programme.

  4. Industry / Market

    The US youth sports market exceeds $40 billion in annual spending, driven by year-round school and club participation, family investment in athletic gear, and the recurring seasonal demand for team uniforms and equipment. Rising participation among girls across sports including flag football is broadening the buyer base for team apparel. Athletic programmes sustain consistent local demand through most economic conditions. For resale buyers, the local market opportunity depends on the density and activity of youth sports programmes within the specific territory.

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