Has the Jazzercise Franchise Made a Comeback?

According to a Yahoo! Shine article, Jazzercise — the group fitness class that put group fitness on the map in the early ‘80s — has made a comeback. Jazzercise was founded by Judi Sheppard Missett, the founder and CEO of Jazzercise, in 1969.

In “Jazzercise Is Back, So You Can’t Make Fun Of It Anymore!” Piper Weiss writes, “In the past few years, Jazzercise has made a comeback, capitalizing on the name recognition while re-branding for a modern audience. There were the updated workout DVDs, the new partnership with ‘Dancing with the Stars’ Cheryl Burke, the cheeky homage from Gwyneth Paltrow on ‘Glee,’ and even the release of a Jazzercise mobile app for the millennials. On December 30, A&E’s competition show ‘Be the Boss’ will devote an entire episode to two Jazzercise instructors competing for a studio.”

According to Weiss, the Jazzercise franchise grossed $97 million in annual revenue in 2011, and 32,000 Jazzercise classes are hosted across the U.S. Weiss attributed part of the company’s success to a revamped image. Weiss writes, “The new Jazzercise is punchier, faster, and more integrative as a workout. In an hour-long class you can burn anywhere from 400-600 calories depending on your skill level. Classes are taught around the country, from Cleveland to Baltimore, and from Santa Cruz to Austin.”

Jazzercise franchisees pay an initial U.S. franchise fee of $2,000, according to the company’s website, and instructors are required to pay 20 percent of their gross revenue to Jazzercise each month.

For more information about Jazzercise, visit: http://jazzercise.com/companyinfo.