by Matt Weik, BS, CSCS, CPT, CSN
CrossFit is as soon as once more at a crossroads. In March 2025, the corporate introduced it was formally on the market. CEO Don Faul confirmed the information in an e-mail to affiliate homeowners, stating the model is actively searching for new possession to hold the corporate ahead.
This marks the second time CrossFit has modified palms since 2020, when non-public fairness agency Berkshire Companions took over from founder Greg Glassman (after an alleged murder incident that landed him in jail).
Personally, I’m unsure something can save CrossFit. It was cool (for some individuals) whereas it lasted. The CrossFit Video games have been a spectacle for a number of years. And since then, CrossFit has appeared to fizzle out.
Is it on account of an absence of curiosity? On account of many individuals getting injured because of the nature of the exercises? A mixture of each? Or one thing totally different?
On this article, we’re going to dive deeper into CrossFit being on the market and perceive how they received right here and the place they might be headed.
Disclaimer: This text is for informational functions solely and isn’t meant to deal with or diagnose any situation. It is strongly recommended that you just converse along with your physician earlier than beginning any train program, making adjustments to your diet plan, or including any new dietary supplements into your present routine.
Why CrossFit is On the lookout for New Possession
The choice to promote CrossFit doesn’t come out of nowhere. Berkshire Companions, which has been steering the model for the final 5 years, has tapped funding financial institution Moelis & Firm to steer the method.
Faul defined the reasoning clearly:
“Our goal is to search out the appropriate accomplice — one with a connection to our neighborhood, an appreciation for our affiliate enterprise mannequin, and the fervour and imaginative and prescient to steer us into the long run.”
That assertion makes it clear the management staff desires somebody who understands the tradition of CrossFit, not simply the enterprise potential.
To be trustworthy, the unlucky demise of a model comes when management or possession is available in that doesn’t totally perceive the enterprise or its demographic. I’ve seen it occur many occasions.
The Numbers Inform a Story
A part of the push to promote might come from declining participation and affiliate numbers.
- At its peak in 2018, CrossFit had over 14,000 associates worldwide. At this time, that quantity is nearer to 10,000.
- The CrossFit Open has additionally seen a serious dip. In 2025, registration dropped about 30%, leaving the competitors with round 234,000 contributors.
These numbers don’t spell the top of CrossFit by any means (that’s nonetheless variety of individuals), however they do spotlight the challenges dealing with the model. Progress has slowed, and participation is down from its glory days.
A Look Again: CrossFit’s Rocky Previous
CrossFit’s street to immediately hasn’t been clean. In 2020, the corporate confronted large backlash when founder Greg Glassman resigned after making controversial remarks after which discovering himself in sizzling water with the regulation.
That opened the door for Berkshire Companions to step in and purchase the model.
Since then, CrossFit has tried to rebuild belief, stabilize management, and develop once more. However the affiliate mannequin has been beneath strain, and newer opponents within the health area have chipped away at CrossFit’s once-unique place.
At this time, CrossFit has appeared to have misplaced its luster, and never solely do you see many containers opening up, however lots of them have been closing altogether.
What the Sale Means for Associates
For affiliate gymnasium homeowners, the massive query is what occurs subsequent. Associates are the spine of CrossFit’s mannequin. They pay licensing charges to hold the title however largely function independently.
A brand new proprietor may select to double down on supporting associates, or they could look to make adjustments that alter how the enterprise runs. That’s the place many gymnasium homeowners are feeling uncertainty.
If the subsequent possession group values the neighborhood, tradition, and decentralized mannequin, associates might profit. But when the main target is barely on scaling income, the expertise may shift dramatically.
What In regards to the Athletes and the Sport?
One other piece of the puzzle is the aggressive facet of CrossFit. The CrossFit Video games have turn into a world showcase, producing stars like Wealthy Froning, Tia-Clair Toomey, and Mat Fraser.
Participation within the Open feeds instantly into the Video games, and with numbers declining, there’s concern about how the sale may impression the game’s future. A dedicated proprietor may deliver new power, sponsors, and visibility. However a disengaged one may let the aggressive scene fade.
Who May Step in as a Purchaser?
That’s the million-dollar query. Or, extra precisely, the multi-million-dollar query.
Potential consumers may come from a number of instructions:
- One other non-public fairness agency seeking to revamp the model.
- A significant health firm that wishes to fold CrossFit into a bigger portfolio.
- A person with deep ties to the CrossFit neighborhood who desires to protect its roots.
As of now, no official bidders have been introduced. Moelis & Firm is main the method, and insiders count on a number of events to floor.
CrossFit’s Subsequent Chapter
CrossFit has at all times been greater than only a exercise program. It’s a neighborhood, a way of life, and for a lot of, a lifestyle. However with declining numbers and shifting possession, it’s coming into a brand new chapter.
The sale presents each threat and alternative. The precise purchaser may reignite progress, strengthen affiliate relationships, and convey new consideration to the Video games. The fallacious one may steer the model additional away from its roots.
For now, associates, athletes, and followers are left ready. The one certainty is that CrossFit will quickly have a brand new proprietor — and with that, the way forward for the game of health may look very totally different.
My Tackle the Sale
From my perspective, this sale may go certainly one of two methods — and the stakes are fairly dang excessive.
If CrossFit lands within the palms of an proprietor who actually values the associates, the Video games, and the tradition that makes the model distinctive, this might be the reset the corporate wants.
The precise management may stabilize participation, deliver pleasure again to the Open, and provides gymnasium homeowners the instruments they should thrive.
But when the client solely sees greenback indicators, CrossFit may drift even farther from what made it particular and distinctive to a sure athlete and magnificence of coaching. That might be a loss not only for associates, however for the whole health business.
I’m hopeful, although. CrossFit has at all times been resilient, and its neighborhood is not like the rest on the market. Whereas I’m not a fan of CrossFit or that specific type of coaching, a loss within the health business isn’t factor (apart from to their opponents).
With the appropriate imaginative and prescient, this might mark the start of a robust new chapter for CrossFit. And whereas I feel CrossFit is considerably harmful (particularly to those that haven’t any clue what they’re doing), I hope somebody purchases them who has a imaginative and prescient and needs to see the success of the model.
