Crunch Franchise Partners With BDA Sports Management To Build Fitness Platform

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Jan 29, 2015, 11:05 ET

NEW YORK, Jan. 29, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Crunch Franchise is pleased to announce that it has partnered with sports industry veterans BDA Sports Management to exclusively develop and operate Franchise ownership opportunities of health clubs with NBA athletes across the globe. The partnership currently includes franchise locations with BDA Sports clients Joakim Noah (Chicago Bulls), Klay Thompson (Golden State Warriors), Chase Budinger (Minnesota Timberwolves) and Darren Collison (Sacramento Kings).

The two companies are perfectly aligned to give athletes the ability to focus on physical fitness and provide them with an outlet through business to share a love of fitness and health with others. With only one year since its inception, the joint ventures of BDA Sports clients and Crunch have brought multiple fitness centers to Northern, Central and Southern California and are currently expanding with five locations in Chicago. For BDA Sports, providing this unique opportunity supports diversification in its services and is a benefit for athletes both domestically and globally.

"I've always admired Bill Duffy and his agency for being a bold and passionate leader in the sports industry," said Ben Midgley, CEO of Crunch Franchise. "We're honored to work with BDA Sports and have its athletes join Crunch, as we continue to build the franchise into a global health, wellness and fitness company."

Crunch Fitness, the renowned gym chain, is best known for its "No Judgments" philosophy and for making serious workouts fun through innovative group fitness programming and cutting-edge training offerings. Over the past four years Crunch has opened over 80 new locations and has already grown to have one of the largest membership bases in the global health and fitness industry.

Bill Duffy is the founder and Chairman of BDA Sports Management, a global sports management firm leading in its field. BDA Sports represents more than 40 NBA players, including 28 first-round picks, 15 lottery picks, four number one Draft picks and more than 80 professional basketball players internationally. The firm's representation includes Chinese icon Yao Ming; NBA All-Stars Steve Nash, Rajon Rondo and Joakim Noah; and NBA stars Klay Thompson, Mike Conley, Danny Green and Andrew Wiggins among many others. The agency has negotiated over $3 billion in player and endorsement contracts.

"The unprecedented partnership BDA Sports has cultivated with Ben Midgley and Crunch Franchise offers the company and its clients an opportunity to be innovators in business while positively impacting communities of great importance," said Bill Duffy. "A key area of focus for BDA Sports is the creation of branded opportunities for its clients that not only position them for long-term financial stability, but also secures a legacy that will continue long after playing careers end. The athlete's ability to influence off the court is steadily broadening and we are extremely encouraged by the initial success we've seen with franchise locations for Joakim, Chase, Darren and Klay. As BDA Sports' global influence in the industry grows, we're excited for the continued expansion of the relationship."

To learn more about Crunch franchising opportunities, visit www.crunchfranchise.com and for more information on BDA Sports, visit www.bdasports.com.

Crunch is a gym that believes in making serious exercise fun by fusing fitness and entertainment and pioneering a philosophy of No Judgments. Headquartered in New York City, and co-owned by New Evolution Ventures (NeV) and private-equity firm Angelo Gordon, Crunch serves over 450,000 members with over 100 gyms worldwide, including 82 franchise locations in MA, PA, NY, NJ, CT, WA, OR, CA, TX, FL, KY, VA, Puerto Rico and Australia, and is rapidly expanding across the U.S. and around the globe. Go to www.crunch.com for more information.

BDA Sports Management (http://www.bdasports.com/) is one of the most respected sports management firms providing, the highest quality of full service representation, personal attention and guidance to active and retired professional athletes. BDA Sports is committed to helping each client reach their full potential as professional athletes, business people and human beings. Through long-term representation and management, BDA Sports athletes expand upon their popularity and maximize their brand potential both on and off the court. BDA Sports has offices in Walnut Creek, Santa Monica, Chicago, New York, Denver, Portland, Charlotte and BDA International in Redondo Beach.

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SOURCE Crunch