Start a Play It Again Sports Franchise in 2025

2025 Franchise 500 Rank: #340 Ranked #401 last year

Initial investment: $314K - $421K

Units as of 2024: 298 8.8% over 3 years

Play It Again Sports is a Winmark Corporation-owned sporting goods retailer. The company offers new and used sporting merchandise in North America. The franchise was founded in 1983 and began franchising in 1988.

Today, the brand has grown to become one of the biggest sporting goods retailers in North America, with many locations across the U.S. and Canada. By blending the sales of new and used name-brand sporting equipment, Play It Again Sports stores continue to be a significant driving force in the industry.

Why You May Want to Start a Play It Again Sports Franchise

Play It Again Sports has carved out a great spot for themselves in the retail marketplace through a proven resell system. This defendable position in the industry has been created by specializing in selling and buying within the market. By building its operation around core values of excellence and efficiency, the company has built a reputation of offering high-quality used and new fitness and sports goods at affordable prices.

The company does not require its potential franchisees to have a retail background. Play It Again Sports franchisees are often customers, fitness enthusiasts, and sports fans. This background creates a rich pool of knowledge that franchisees can leverage to better understand the market's needs and serve customers. By offering potential franchisees an opportunity to start a franchise, Play It Again Sports has carved out a niche in the industry and has survived for nearly four decades.

What Might Make a Play It Again Sports Franchise a Good Choice?

To be part of the Play It Again Sports team, you should make sure you’re financially ready for an initial investment that will include a franchise fee and other startup costs. Ongoing fees will include advertising, royalty, and potential renewal fees. If your net worth and available liquid capital match the brand's requirements, you may qualify to open a franchise, and you can get started with the initial investment.

It may be wise to consider contacting your attorney or money manager to ensure that you may the necessary funds to open a Play It Again Sports franchise.

How To Start a Play It Again Sports Franchise

The first step towards becoming a Play It Again Sports franchisee is submitting an online qualification form. The franchisor will verify your background and credit information to determine if you meet the application requirements. If you are financially approved, the company will assist you in coordinating visits with existing franchisees.

If you find the opportunity to be the right fit for you, the franchisor may invite you to a discovery day at their headquarters in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Here, you will meet with the Play It Again Sports executive team. If mutual consent is established, the company will work with you to get the franchise agreement in order. It will take several months before you can open your store for business. As you wait for the grand opening, Play It Again Sports will take you through an extensive training program. Once you complete the training program and your store is ready, it will be time for you to step into the sporting goods industry.

Company Overview

About Play It Again Sports

Industry	Recreation
Related Categories	Sports Equipment & Apparel, Sports
Founded	1983
Parent Company	Winmark Corp.
Leadership	Brett Heffes, CEO
Corporate Address	605 Hwy. 169 N., #400 Minneapolis, MN 55441
Social	Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube

Business Overview

Franchising Since	1988 (37 years)
# of employees at HQ	89
Where seeking	This company is offering new franchises throughout the US. This company is offering new franchises in the following international regions: Canada
# of Units	298 (as of 2024)

Information for Franchisees

Here's what you need to know if you're interested in opening a Play It Again Sports franchise.

Financial Requirements & Ongoing Fees

Here's what you can expect to spend to start the business and what ongoing fees the franchisor charges throughout the life of the business.

Initial Franchise Fee Definition: The initial fee paid to a franchisor to join their system What you need to know: Found in Item 5 of the FDD, this may be a flat fee, or may vary based on territory size, experience, or other factors.The franchise fee is an up-front (one-time) cost that a new franchisee pays to the franchisor. This fee is usually due at the signing of the franchise agreement and covers the right to use the franchisor's trademarks, name, and related business systems.	$25,000
Initial Investment Definition: The total amount necessary to begin operation of the franchise What you need to know: The initial investment includes the franchise fee, along with other startup expenses such as real estate, equipment, supplies, business licenses, and working capital. This is outlined in a chart in Item 7 of the FDD, showing a range of possible costs from low to high.	$314,300 - $420,800
Net Worth Requirement Definition: The minimum net worth you must have in order to qualify to become a franchisee of this company What you need to know: Net worth is the value of a person's assets minus liabilities. Assets include cash, stocks, retirement accounts, and real estate. Liabilities include items like mortgages, car payments, and credit card debt.	$400,000
Cash Requirement Definition: The minimum liquid capital you must have available in order to qualify to become a franchisee of this company.	$90,000 - $105,000
Royalty Fee Definition: A ongoing fee paid to the franchisor on a regular basis. What you need to know: Most franchisors require franchisees to pay an ongoing royalty fee, which is detailed in Item 6 of the FDD. This fee is typically a percentage of weekly or monthly gross sales, but may also be a flat weekly, monthly, or annual fee.	5%
Ad Royalty Fee Definition: An going fee paid to the franchisor on a regular basis to support advertising or marketing efforts. What you need to know: This may also be called advertising fee, marketing fee, brand fund fee, and more, but the basic purpose is the same-- to support promotion of the brand systemwide. As with the royalty fee, it is detailed in Item 6 of the FDD, and can be a percentage of weekly or monthly gross sales or a weekly, monthly, or annual fee.	$1.5K/yr.
Term of Agreement Definition: The length of time your franchise agreement will last. What you need to know: Franchise terms are typically anywhere from 5 to 20 years in length, but are sometimes instead dependent on factors such as the term of your lease. Once your term is up, you may have the option to renew your agreement, typically for a smaller fee than the original franchise fee.	10 years
Is franchise term renewable?	Yes

Financing Options

Some franchisors offer in-house financing, while others have relationships with third-party financing sources to which they refer qualified franchisees.

Third Party Financing	Play It Again Sports has relationships with third-party sources which offer financing to cover the following: franchise fee, startup costs, equipment, inventory, payroll

Training & Support Offered

Franchisors offer initial training programs and a variety of ongoing support options to help franchisees run their businesses.

On-The-Job Training	18.5 hours
Classroom Training	42 hours
Ongoing Support	Purchasing Co-ops Newsletter Meetings & Conventions Toll-Free Line Grand Opening Online Support Security & Safety Procedures Field Operations Site Selection Proprietary Software Franchisee Intranet Platform
Marketing Support	Co-op Advertising Ad Templates National Media Regional Advertising Social Media SEO Website Development Email Marketing Loyalty Program/App

Operations

Additional details about running this franchise.

Is absentee ownership allowed?	No
Can this franchise be run from home/mobile unit? Definition: The business can be run from your home and/or a vehicle, and it is not necessary to have a retail facility, office space, or warehouse.	No
Can this franchise be run part time? Definition: This business can be run by the owner on a part-time basis (less than 40 hours per week) and/or as a side business; it is not necessary for the business to be open/run full-time.	No
# of employees required to run	3-5
Are exclusive territories available? Definition: An exclusive territory is a fixed area in which you are given the right to operate and in which no other units of the same franchise may be opened. What you need to know: Territory size may be based on factors such as radius, population size, zip codes, and more. Details can be found in Item 12 of the FDD.	Yes