Start a XP League Franchise in 2024

Franchise 500 Rank: N/R Not ranked last year

Initial investment: $83K - $332K

Units as of 2024: 46 43.8% over 3 years

XP League Franchise

Ever wanted to jump into a franchise where you could play to work? Opening your own XP League franchise could help you do that.

XP League is an eSports league coaching and planning franchise business that follows a similar structure and values to traditional youth sports.

As a franchise owner, you’ll be a coach or team leader for an eSports league and teach kids how to become better gamers.

In essence, each franchisee works as a league commissioner, taking the out-of-the-box league materials and marketing provided by XP League to jumpstart their own youth eSports leagues.

If you’ve ever wanted to take your videogame skills and translate them into coaching experience, now’s the chance.

But how do you start, and what are the benefits of working with XP League for this specific franchise opportunity? Read on for the answers to these questions and more.

Reasons to start an XP League franchise

XP League was started in 2020 by Jay Melamed, CEO and Brand President, to provide young video game enthusiasts with a competitive and developmental outlet for their problem-solving skills and strategic thinking that functions similarly to traditional sports. Youth eSports franchises, just like traditional sports teams, can also teach kids valuable social skills.

In North America and worldwide, eSports has become a veritable industry, with professional teams, competitions, and live events. XP League is part of the eSports wave and has enabled a wave of competitive youth eSports teams.

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Partnering with the XP League means you’ll own your own franchise and work as a coach. You’ll get access to a comprehensive team development kit so you can build up your eSports youth league in a matter of weeks.

There are lots of benefits of XP League franchise ownership, including:

You get access to all the team's official branded gear your youth league may need. On top of that, XP League can help you develop a team name and aesthetic that sets you apart from the competition in your local area.
You can take advantage of exclusive partnerships with eSports brands for shirts and gaming gear. You’ll also get partnerships with top coaching firms for assistance in securing good youth gaming coaches (that way, if coaching isn’t your heart’s desire, you can offload the responsibilities to someone else).
Access to plenty of tournament management and national gameplay opportunities allows your team to make it big if they have talent where it counts.
Access to potential regional events and North American finals for your chosen competitive games.
Comprehensive support from XP League for marketing and coaching, especially if you plan to coach yourself and need help developing the skills necessary to succeed.
XP League provides plans for launching, marketing and operations across the board.
Access to a league commissioner network to connect with the top leaders in the eSports gaming space.

Compared to classic youth sports organizations or athletics, competitive eSports organizations offer lots of the same advantages to their youth participants. Above all else, XP League allows you to run a business teaching kids how to play games competitively. What’s not to like?

In a broad sense, starting an XP League franchise could be a wise idea because the eSports market is already quite large and may only grow in the future. That means you have the potential to grow your business based on parents who want their kids to develop their gaming skills to mean something, not just spend mindless time staring at a screen.

Imagine starting a gaming league in an area that doesn’t have one. With such a league, you could make a difference to tons of kids with less interest in traditional sports who would otherwise have less opportunity to develop essential teamwork skills. Across the country, the market for gaming leagues already exists. All you have to do is provide the product.

In addition, eSports league creation and coaching have minimal overhead cost, which means you have the potential to rapidly grow the business and enjoy the profit margins.

That all comes with added flexibility from XP League. All XP League franchisees have the freedom to choose their league sizes, locations and working hours.

You don’t need a retail office — just enough space to coach your kids or host your gaming league if you hire additional coaches. The sky’s the limit.

Lastly, you may wish to start an XP League franchise purely to do something good for your community. Starting an eSports team in your area will give kids a chance to learn skills and things like good sportsmanship, which are always valuable for youth.

XP League franchise reviews

So far, franchisees with XP League are very pleased. For example, J.D. Uhler in Madison, Wisconsin, states, "This is such a professional level product. I am always proud to show it off with parents and community organizations. They instantly want to sign up their child or get involved!”

Other franchisees have similar experiences. With XP League, you can do something good for the community by giving local kids a positive outlet and allowing them to experience teamwork, friendship and good sportsmanship.

A gaming league teaches kids who are already enthused with games many of the same positive life lessons they would glean from a physical sports field.

XP League franchise cost

One of the biggest benefits of starting an XP League franchise is that it doesn’t require as much money as other franchise opportunities.

You’ll first need to pay an initial franchise fee of $35,000. You can take 10% of this off if you are a veteran. Next, you’ll need to make an initial investment of between $58,000 and $225,000, depending on the total range of gear you wish to purchase.

Your net worth must be between $250,000 and $750,000, with a liquid cash requirement of $75,000-$200,000.

All told, you’ll need to pay an 8% royalty fee and a 5% ad royalty fee over time. Franchisee agreements last for five years then they can be renewed.

Does XP League offer financing support?

Yes. XP League offers financing support for the initial franchise fees. That way, if you don’t quite have enough cash to pay the initial fee, you can get a loan to pay it down and pay XP League back over time.

XP League training and onboarding

XP League provides basic marketing and business training as soon as you sign up as a franchisee. Additional training is possible if you plan to coach your team members yourself.

You can alternatively send coaching employees to XP League’s corporate headquarters to receive the training they need.

After starting your gaming league, ongoing support through the mobile app is also available. This is especially useful when you purchase discounted gaming gear for your team members, such as mice, keyboards and gaming PCs.

How to open an XP League franchise

Opening an XP League franchise is relatively straightforward: contact the brand and explain your goals, and they’ll work with you to send you the coaching and franchising box kit you need to get started.

It all begins with choosing your team name, colors and ancillary materials. Once you've decided on these initial things, you can start marketing your XP League gaming team. That way, you can attract parents and kids from around the area to get team members to fill out your roster.

Should you decide to coach, you’ll be able to take advantage of training resources. You can alternatively hire a coach (or several) depending on how many team members you want to field.

Opening an XP League franchise does not require finding and leasing a retail location. You can host team members and meetings wherever you like.

XP League can assist with your new eSports league's pricing and marketing aspects. This way, you can make sure that you price your league competitively and have the resources necessary to ensure your team members can compete when you enter them into different competitions.

Get started with an XP League franchise today

With XP League, you can franchise as an eSports coach and spend time playing games and teaching kids to be better professional gamers.

Consider becoming a franchisee with XP League today.

Check out Entrepreneur’s other guides and articles for more information on this topic.

Company Overview

About XP League

Industry	Children's Businesses
Related Categories	Children's Enrichment Programs: Miscellaneous, Children's Enrichment Programs: STEM, Children's Education/Enrichment
Founded	2020
Parent Company	Unleashed Brands LLC
Leadership	Carisa Findley, Brand President
Corporate Address	2350 Airport Fwy., #505 Bedford, TX 76022
Social	Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok

Business Overview

Franchising Since	2020 (4 years)
# of employees at HQ	111
Where seeking	This company is offering new franchises throughout the US. This company is offering new franchises in the following international regions: Canada
# of Units	46 (as of 2024)

Information for Franchisees

Here's what you need to know if you're interested in opening a XP League franchise.

Financial Requirements & Ongoing Fees

Here's what you can expect to spend to start the business and what ongoing fees the franchisor charges throughout the life of the business.

Initial Franchise Fee Definition: The initial fee paid to a franchisor to join their system What you need to know: Found in Item 5 of the FDD, this may be a flat fee, or may vary based on territory size, experience, or other factors.The franchise fee is an up-front (one-time) cost that a new franchisee pays to the franchisor. This fee is usually due at the signing of the franchise agreement and covers the right to use the franchisor's trademarks, name, and related business systems.	$35,000
Initial Investment Definition: The total amount necessary to begin operation of the franchise What you need to know: The initial investment includes the franchise fee, along with other startup expenses such as real estate, equipment, supplies, business licenses, and working capital. This is outlined in a chart in Item 7 of the FDD, showing a range of possible costs from low to high.	$82,650 - $332,000
Net Worth Requirement Definition: The minimum net worth you must have in order to qualify to become a franchisee of this company What you need to know: Net worth is the value of a person's assets minus liabilities. Assets include cash, stocks, retirement accounts, and real estate. Liabilities include items like mortgages, car payments, and credit card debt.	$75,000 - $750,000
Cash Requirement Definition: The minimum liquid capital you must have available in order to qualify to become a franchisee of this company.	$50,000
Veteran Incentives Definition: A discount or other incentive offered to military veterans who buy a franchise with this company.	5% off franchise and development fees
Royalty Fee Definition: A ongoing fee paid to the franchisor on a regular basis. What you need to know: Most franchisors require franchisees to pay an ongoing royalty fee, which is detailed in Item 6 of the FDD. This fee is typically a percentage of weekly or monthly gross sales, but may also be a flat weekly, monthly, or annual fee.	$500+/mo.
Ad Royalty Fee Definition: An going fee paid to the franchisor on a regular basis to support advertising or marketing efforts. What you need to know: This may also be called advertising fee, marketing fee, brand fund fee, and more, but the basic purpose is the same-- to support promotion of the brand systemwide. As with the royalty fee, it is detailed in Item 6 of the FDD, and can be a percentage of weekly or monthly gross sales or a weekly, monthly, or annual fee.	8%
Term of Agreement Definition: The length of time your franchise agreement will last. What you need to know: Franchise terms are typically anywhere from 5 to 20 years in length, but are sometimes instead dependent on factors such as the term of your lease. Once your term is up, you may have the option to renew your agreement, typically for a smaller fee than the original franchise fee.	10 years
Is franchise term renewable?	Yes

Financing Options

Some franchisors offer in-house financing, while others have relationships with third-party financing sources to which they refer qualified franchisees.

Third Party Financing	XP League has relationships with third-party sources which offer financing to cover the following: franchise fee, startup costs, equipment, inventory, accounts receivable, payroll

Training & Support Offered

Franchisors offer initial training programs and a variety of ongoing support options to help franchisees run their businesses.

Classroom Training	34 hours
Ongoing Support	Purchasing Co-ops Newsletter Meetings & Conventions Grand Opening Security & Safety Procedures Field Operations Site Selection Proprietary Software Franchisee Intranet Platform
Marketing Support	Co-op Advertising Ad Templates National Media Regional Advertising Social Media SEO Website Development Email Marketing Loyalty Program/App

Operations

Additional details about running this franchise.

Is absentee ownership allowed?	No
Can this franchise be run from home/mobile unit? Definition: The business can be run from your home and/or a vehicle, and it is not necessary to have a retail facility, office space, or warehouse.	Yes
Can this franchise be run part time? Definition: This business can be run by the owner on a part-time basis (less than 40 hours per week) and/or as a side business; it is not necessary for the business to be open/run full-time.	No
# of employees required to run	1
Are exclusive territories available? Definition: An exclusive territory is a fixed area in which you are given the right to operate and in which no other units of the same franchise may be opened. What you need to know: Territory size may be based on factors such as radius, population size, zip codes, and more. Details can be found in Item 12 of the FDD.	Yes