At its peak, CrossFit was a global fitness empire with over 15,000 gyms, a $150M sponsorship with Reebok, and millions of loyal athletes worldwide. It built a community unlike anything else — but just a few years later, the brand is struggling, cycling through CEOs, and even putting itself up for sale again. — Corrections/Update 9/6/25:
- I got the price for the Crossfit Open wrong (it’s $20, not $50). Sorry as I was doing that from memory.
- Crossfitters would like you to know that eventually, a judge ruled the NSCA ruled the study showing it was unsafe was full of errors and perjury.
- Greg Glassman made a bunch of money when the business was sold.
- Some commenters have noted that the affiliate fee math is high based on their understanding of the business at the time. It was designed to be illustrative that Crossfit Inc was a very profitable business.
— 👇 SUBSCRIBE for more business breakdowns / @michael-girdley Get my free guide → Why Great Businesses Fail: 10 Multi-Million Dollar Mistakes To Avoid: https://links.girdley.com/10fails-yt —————————————————————— ► For sponsorships or inquiries please reach out to: alexandro@girdley.com ► Get my weekly letter to business owners: essential insights to run, grow, and stay ahead in your business → https://links.girdley.com/newsletter-yt ► Free events on all things small business: https://links.girdley.com/lectures-yt ► Deep dives on businesses for sale: / @acquisitionsanonymouspodcast ► Follow me on Twitter/X: https://x.com/girdley —————————————————————— In this video, we dive into the rise and fall of CrossFit:
- How Greg Glassman’s contrarian vision created a fitness revolution
- The explosive growth of CrossFit gyms, licensing, and the CrossFit Games
- Why CrossFit was accused of being dangerous and faced mounting injuries
- The competition from Orangetheory, F45, Peloton, and at-home fitness
- The COVID-19 pandemic’s devastating impact on CrossFit affiliates
- The scandals that led to Reebok pulling sponsorship and Greg Glassman stepping down
- The leadership changes with Eric Roza and Don Faul
- And how tragedies at the CrossFit Games further hurt the brand’s reputation
This is the full story of CrossFit’s meteoric rise and dramatic fall, and the business lessons we can all learn from it.This video explores CrossFit’s dramatic rise from a small gym to a global fitness empire with 15,000 locations. The analysis details its innovative licensing model and rapid growth, but also exa
