D1 Sports

The vendor opportunity at D1 Sports

D1 Sports operates 160 locations, 155 of which are franchised, with a strong average unit volume of $534,745. The system grew unit count by 22% year-over-year, signaling an active development pipeline that creates recurring onboarding opportunities for software vendors. The franchisee base is fragmented: 48 of the 52 mapped operators run a single unit, while only 4 are multi-unit operators. This means the franchisor, not a dominant franchisee group, drives technology decisions. For a vendor, the path to 155 units runs through the corporate office in Tennessee.

Who controls software purchasing

The buying center sits with the C-suite and operations leadership. Will Bartholomew serves as Chief Executive Officer, Dan Murphy as Chief Operating Officer, and Elliot Capner as Chief Commercial Officer. The most actionable contact for operational software is Austin Clark, Vice President of Operations, who directly oversees unit-level execution. Julie Bauer, VP of Franchise Development, may influence tools that support franchisee onboarding and compliance. Because the franchisor mandates specific systems, these executives control the entire addressable market of 155 franchised locations. There is no parent company; D1 Sports appears independently owned, keeping decision-making in-house.

Mandated and current tech stack

The 2026 FDD lists six mandated technology components. Mindbody by Mindbody, Inc. serves as the core management and scheduling platform. Gym Profit Solutions and ProfitKeeper handle financial and profitability tracking. A proprietary D1 application and a D1 branded website are also required, alongside GPS tracking systems. This stack is fully prescribed, meaning franchisees cannot substitute alternatives. Vendors offering complementary capabilities—such as advanced CRM, payroll, or marketing automation—must integrate with Mindbody or the proprietary app to be viable. Displacement of an incumbent requires a compelling ROI case presented directly to HQ.

Procurement, renewals, and timing

Procurement rules are not detailed in the most recent FDD. Item 8, which typically outlines designated or approved supplier requirements, contains no extract. This absence means vendors cannot rely on a published pathway; they must initiate direct conversations with the operations team to understand how purchasing decisions are made. Renewal and contract term signals are similarly opaque. The initial franchise term length is not disclosed, and Item 17 provides no renewal information. Without these data points, vendors should focus on the growth rate—22% new units annually—as the most reliable indicator of when new software seats and licenses will be needed.

How to read the D1 Sports FDD

The 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document is the definitive source for understanding D1 Sports's technology mandates and unit economics. Item 11 lists every required system, and Item 19 provides the financial performance data behind the $534,745 AUV. The operator footprint in Item 20 reveals the geographic concentration in Texas, California, and Tennessee, which can inform territory-based sales strategies. For vendors, the FDD is not just a legal document—it is a prospecting map. Review it to identify integration gaps, incumbent weaknesses, and the exact language the franchisor uses to describe its tech requirements. When you are ready to prioritize franchise brands by vendor fit, FranCloud can build a ranked target list based on the tech stack and growth signals that matter to your product.