19 Sport Business Ideas To Start In [2024]
Starting a sports business can be a lucrative venture.
There are many different ways to start your own sports business idea. You can start a small, local sports league or start your own sports equipment store.
To get started, you need to identify a niche that is not already saturated with competition and has a reasonable cost of entry. This will help you get your sports business idea off the ground and running smoothly.
This post highlights different sports business ideas you can start in 2024.
1. Start a sports t-shirt making business
A sports t-shirt design and distribution business are one of the most profitable ideas you will want to start today. Sports Tee shirts are popular items within the fitness industry, which makes them an amazing opportunity for upcoming fashion entrepreneurs.
How much you can make: $475,000,000/month
Under Armour, the American sports equipment and sports apparel manufacturing company, started from scratch in 1996 with an initial product of a synthetic base layer that wicks away sweat, and has since expanded their range to include football, cross-training, and running shoes, with 2019 revenues of $5.27 billion.
2. Start a sports shop business
A retail sporting shop provides sports equipment such as balls, bats, gloves, sticks, rackets, clubs, and protective gear.
Entrepreneurs can set up a sports shop at a strip mall or sell their products online. Renting a shop at the strip mall will require a little money to pay the rent, but depending on the entrepreneurs’ approach, it could be more profitable.
How much you can make: $100,000 — $1,000,000/month
How much does it cost to start: $5,000 (?)
How long does it take to build: 90 days (?)
CROSSNET, the world's first four-way volleyball game, went from $74,000 in revenue in 2018 to $2,250,000 in sales in just one year by attracting customers through social media, email marketing, and exclusive distribution agreements with retailers like Target.
3. Start a winter sports equipment rental business
One of the best ways to overcome winter blues is to get outside and enjoy winter sports. There are different winter activities, from cross-country skiing, alpine skiing, snowboarding, and speed skating to ski jumping.
Buying your own winter sports equipment sounds uneconomical for most people. They prefer renting out to buying because the equipment is just for short-term use. Thus, starting a winter sports rental business can be a lucrative business.
How much you can make: $90,000/month
Hagan is a ski mountaineering gear company that has 50% annual growth and focuses solely on backcountry ski touring, resulting in the world’s widest selection of mountaineering skis.
4. Start a vr-based sports streaming service
Sporting is one of the domains where VR technology is put to use effectively and aggressively. VR technology enables users to amplify the sporting experience in nearly every field, including consuming content.
A Sports VR streaming service replicates the experience of being courtside at a game where a team is playing, so the user can view favorite sporting events in VR. The service provides a myriad of content, including live streaming sporting events such as the US Open, golden state warriors’ games, and other sports.
With a sports VR streaming service, no more paying for parking and expensive concessions! All the users need are VR headsets and can enjoy their favorite sports through the VR streaming service. Starting a VR streaming service is fun and a lucrative business opportunity.
How much you can make: $300,000/month
How long does it take to build: 180 days (?)
Esports management software company ggCircuit has doubled its revenue every year since inception and amassed $4 million in revenue in the past year alone, while offering services to over 700 customers globally and projecting double that in revenue over the next 12 months.
5. Become a sports blogger
The sports blogger business involves creating a website or platform where you write about various sports topics, share insights, and engage with an audience interested in sports.
To start this business on a budget, you’ll need a computer, an internet connection, and basic writing skills.
Begin by choosing a specific niche within sports (like a particular sport, team, or type of content) to focus on.
Consistently create high-quality, engaging content and promote your blog through social media and online communities to build an audience over time.
Monetize your blog through methods like affiliate marketing, sponsored content, and advertising once you have a steady flow of visitors.
How much you can make: $250 — $18,400/month
How much does it cost to start: $200 (?)
How long does it take to build: 10 days (?)
Craig Calcaterra's daily baseball and culture Substack newsletter Cup of Coffee has amassed just under 10,500 subscribers, with over 3,300 paying monthly ($6) or annual ($65) subscriptions, achieving average monthly revenue of around $18,400 and growing.
6. Start a sports promotion business
A sports promotion business uses sporting marketing strategies to popularize sporting activities and appeal to the target audience. The sports promotion businesses may focus on marketing:
- Sporting activities
- Sports businesses
- Individual athletes
- Stadium and sports facilities
To start a sports promotion business, choose a niche, define the target audience and create a website. Then, create appealing marketing content and post it on your website. Launch a social media marketing campaign to expand the reach and accelerate results.
How much you can make: $16,000/month
Athlo agncy co-founder Jay Fuller shares the story of how the personal branding startup for college athletes navigating NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) was able to generate brand awareness through strategic partnerships and grassroots marketing initiatives, securing athlo ambassadors, event participation, and on-campus workshops with two different universities in pre-launch mode.
7. Start a boat sports blog
The boat sports blog covers news and opinions on boat-related topics and activities. To start a boat sports blog, decide on the stories you want to cover, choose a blog name and buy a domain. You can earn money from promoting boating-related equipment and accessories with a boat sports blog.
8. Start a sports coaching business
Sports coaching is a fast-growing industry in all areas of the world.
If you have a sports coaching qualification and experience, you can turn those experiences into a profitable business.
You can offer coaching to teams or individuals depending on your preference and the nature of sports.
You may join sports associations or attend networking events to market your sports coaching abilities.
How much you can make: $4,759 — $8,000/month
How much does it cost to start: $550 (?)
How long does it take to build: 180 days (?)
Girl Boss Sports, founded in December 2018, aims to increase the number of women sports coaches while keeping girls in sports by partnering with companies and organizations, and has brought in an average of $4,700 of revenue per month over the last 6 months by hiring over 20 female soccer coaches in Greater Seattle area.
9. Start a sports betting website
Sports betting has continued to become popular over the past years. Although sports betting is still not legal everywhere, the global betting market is huge and can be lucrative. If you love sports and looking for a profitable sporting-related business, you may consider starting a sports betting website.
However, before starting your sports betting website, make sure sports betting is legal in your state and that you have the required permits and licenses.
How much you can make: $30,000/month
How long does it take to build: 175 days (?)
Discover how Sean Green turned his sports gambling podcast into a multi-million media empire generating $30K/month in revenue and over a million downloads annually.
10. Start a sports collectible shop
Experts estimate that the sports memorabilia market will record a growth rate of 15.6% to reach $12.2 Billion over the next few years. The growth rate is partly fueled by the rise of NFTs or non-fungible tokens.
Therefore, starting a sports collectible shop in 2024 can be a great business idea.
How much you can make: $100,000/month
Bay Sports, an online water sports business, started with just kayaks and now offers a wide range of products, able to offer competitive prices due to being primarily online, with over 70% of customers shopping on mobile devices, emphasizing the importance of a strong online presence.
11. Start a sports and entertainment platform
Sports and entertainment are some of the profitable industries today. Sports and entertainment businesses provide brands, players and fans a platform to connect and build meaningful relationships. If you have the entrepreneurship spirit, consider starting a sporting and entertainment platform. This can be a sports prediction platform or a sports-related merchandise distribution business.
How much you can make: $300,000/month
Esports management software company ggCircuit has doubled its revenue every year since inception and amassed $4 million in revenue in the past year alone, while offering services to over 700 customers globally and projecting double that in revenue over the next 12 months.
12. Start a sporting goods store
Experts estimate that consumer preference for the latest techniques in sports equipment and fitness gadgets will increase rapidly over the coming years. If you intend to start a sporting good and equipment store, research the market and identify target customers. You can focus on sporting equipment or include sports clothing in your business. You need to make sure you offer a wide range of sports products and ensure the pricing is fair.
How much you can make: $25,000 — $1,000,000/month
How long does it take to build: 135 days (?)
Infinite Discs is the largest direct-to-consumer disc golf retailer in the world, generating $12m annually by starting as a side project and adapting to become the most user-friendly website with unique disc artwork, as well as creating their own products and expanding to wholesale, all while dealing with the challenges of managing growth.
13. Start a fitness equipment manufacturer
Are you searching for a new business opportunity that will enable you to utilize your design and construction skills? Perhaps you should consider starting a business that manufactures fitness equipment. The main requirements for succeeding in this manufacturing business are a well-equipped workshop, design and construction experience, and good marketing skills.
The fitness equipment manufactured can include weight benches, weight stands, and squat stands, just to mention a few. Once the fitness equipment is constructed, selling can be wholesale to national and specialty retailers or directly to the public via a factory direct showroom or the Internet.
How much you can make: $240,000 — $771,000/month
How long does it take to build: 120 days (?)
Ironmaster, a multi-million dollar company, manufactures and sells their brand of home gym fitness equipment domestically and in over 20 international markets, with their top-selling product being a patented adjustable dumbbell system called Quick-Lock Dumbbells, providing quality strength training gear for individuals who want to have their gym at home.
14. Become a sports app developer
The fan base in the sports industry is growing continuously. The audience relies on mobile sports apps for news, live watching, fantasy games, and much more. If you are an entrepreneur willing to understand the latest app trends, you may consider building an efficient app that attracts sports enthusiasts.
How much you can make: $35,000/month
How much does it cost to start: $2,500 (?)
How long does it take to build: 90 days (?)
Founder achieves breakthrough with WrumerSound, an e-commerce brand specializing in a device called Wrumer that simulates engine sounds through a car's speakers, generating $35k in monthly revenue and growing.
15. Become a sports photographer
Do you want to combine your love for photography with your favorite sports? as a sports photographer, you get the chance to capture all exciting sports moments and sell the photos to sports fans, newspaper companies, and stock photography websites.
16. Become a sports dietitian
Sports dietitian is a demanding and stimulating nutrition career involving close collaboration with competitive athletes. A practical approach to beginning a sports dietitian business is partnering with sports teams in your area and moving up within the organization.
17. Become a yoga instructor
The first step to becoming a yoga instructor is obtaining a certification from an instructor-affiliated institution near you. Your next step should be drawing up a business plan considering various projections. Finally, determine whether to open a brick-and-mortar establishment, offer online yoga classes, or a hybrid model.
The option has far more responsibilities for brick-and-mortar establishments, like paying rent and utility expenses. Also, check business-zoning requirements and acquire the required licenses. Proper marketing strategies will help you build clientele fast and grow your business.
How much you can make: $60,000/month
How long does it take to build: 365 days (?)
Live Fit, a personal training company founded in 2011, grew from earning $80,000 in their first year with two trainers to earning over $760,000 in 2019 with 12 trainers and two locations, thanks to a focus on building trusting relationships and providing a variety of services to clients.
18. Start a yoga tutoring business
Research has proven that yoga holds many health benefits. And with more and more people wanting to increase their quality of life, the demand for quality yoga trainers is rising daily. Take advantage of this growing industry and start a yoga business today. There is no doubt that being a yoga teacher is a gratifying job. Some benefits of starting a yoga business are:
- You can start it from your home
- You can explore more
- You have a low-stress way to test the waters
- No significant investment is needed
Here we have all that you need to start an online yoga tutoring business:
- Get your certification
- Pick your specialty
- Pick a name and a logo
- Decide on a marketing and execution plan
19. Start an outdoor yoga studio business
The number of yoga studios has increased tremendously over the past decade. Experts attribute the increase to the growing awareness of the benefits of Yoga among people of different age groups. With the increased uptake of yoga, you want to start your own outdoor yoga studio.
To start, determine your goals and decide on the budget. You also need to complete market research and do competition research.
Here are a few questions you want to concentrate on answering:
- Who is your target market? Think in terms of age group, abilities, and gender.
- What kind of Yoga classes will you offer? You might offer a broad range of classes or cater to a super-specific niche.
- What’s the pricing structure? You could charge per session or use a subscription-based approach.
- What differentiates your services from what the competition offers? Try to identify gaps and think about everything Yoga customers want.
- What are your goals, and how will you achieve them? Put your business goals in a business plan and include action plans to help you achieve them.
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- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
