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 electronic mail to affiliate homeowners, stating the model is actively in search of new possession to hold the corporate ahead.
This marks the second time CrossFit has modified arms 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 folks) whereas it lasted. The CrossFit Video games had been a spectacle for a number of years. And since then, CrossFit has appeared to fizzle out.
Is it as a consequence of a scarcity of curiosity? Because of many individuals getting injured because of the nature of the exercises? A mix 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 acquired 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’s endorsed that you simply converse together 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 In search of 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 seek out the best associate — one with a connection to our neighborhood, an appreciation for our affiliate enterprise mannequin, and the eagerness and imaginative and prescient to steer us into the long run.”
That assertion makes it clear the management workforce needs somebody who understands the tradition of CrossFit, not simply the enterprise potential.
To be trustworthy, the unlucky dying of a model comes when management or possession is available in that doesn’t absolutely 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. Right this moment, 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 tip of CrossFit by any means (that’s nonetheless a very good variety of folks), 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 right now 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 stress, and newer opponents within the health area have chipped away at CrossFit’s once-unique place.
Right this moment, 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 large 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 may 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 simply 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 grow to be 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 vitality, 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 trying to revamp the model.
- A significant health firm that desires to fold CrossFit into a bigger portfolio.
- A person with deep ties to the CrossFit neighborhood who needs to protect its roots.
As of now, no official bidders have been introduced. Moelis & Firm is main the method, and insiders anticipate 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 danger and alternative. The best purchaser may reignite development, strengthen affiliate relationships, and produce new consideration to the Video games. The improper 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 one in all two methods — and the stakes are fairly dang excessive.
If CrossFit lands within the arms 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 best management may stabilize participation, deliver pleasure again to the Open, and provides gymnasium homeowners the instruments they should thrive.
But when the customer 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 may be a loss not only for associates, however for your entire 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 fashion of coaching, a loss within the health business is rarely a very good factor (aside from to their opponents).
With the best 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 don’t have any clue what they’re doing), I hope somebody purchases them who has a imaginative and prescient and desires to see the success of the model.
