Franchise opportunities compared
Big Blue Swim School vs Sky Zone
Reviewed figures from each brand's Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD), side by side. Each figure carries its FDD year and page. This is not a ranking or recommendation, and the two FDDs may cover different years and location groups.
Before you compare
- Both sets of figures come from 2026 FDDs.
- Big Blue Swim School and Sky Zone disclose more than one business format, so the investment range spans formats; the full report breaks them out.
- Item 19 figures cover the location groups each FDD names (Big Blue Swim School: 10, Sky Zone: 7). Different groups are not directly comparable.
| Disclosure |  Big Blue Swim School |  Sky Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Financial commitment | ||
| Estimated initial investment (Item 7) | $1,898,350 – $3,478,100 2026 FDD · Item 7 | $234,600 – $6,400,210 2026 FDD · Item 7 |
| Standard initial franchise fee (Item 5) | Not available No single standard fee identified | Not available No single standard fee identified |
| Royalty (Item 6) | 6% Royalty rate 2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 14 | 6% Royalty fee 2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 18 |
| Brand / advertising fund (Item 6) | 3% Brand fund maximum — 3% 2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 15 | 3% Advertising fee — 3% 2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 15 |
| System scale & health | ||
| Total outlets (Item 20) | 52 Outlets at end of 2025 2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 71 | 490 Outlets at end of 2025 2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 75 |
| Net outlet change (Item 20) | +23 Calculated: 29 at end of 2023 → 52 at end of 2025 | +96 Calculated: 394 at end of 2023 → 490 at end of 2025 |
| Outlet exits (Item 20) | Not available No complete exit records for a year | Not available No complete exit records for a year |
| Franchising since (Item 1) | 2018 From a verified franchisor listing | 2009 From a verified franchisor listing |
| Franchisor founded (Item 1) | Not available Not in reviewed records | Not available Not in reviewed records |
| Performance (Item 19) | ||
| Financial performance (Item 19), by location group | Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — All 42 schools open throughout calendar year 2025: 20 affiliate-owned and 22 fr… 20 schools other Affiliate-owned sample · 2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 68 Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — All schools All Swim Schools $1,636,545 other All schools All Swim Schools Average gross revenue · 2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 69 Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — All schools Affiliate-Owned Swim Schools $2,707,122 other All schools Affiliate-Owned Swim Schools Highest gross revenue · 2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 69 +7 more groups in the full report | Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Franchisee-owned U.S. Model Parks open and operating throughout the 2025 Report… 18 parks other Model Parks met or exceeded average EBITDA percentage count · 2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 72 Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Franchisee-owned U.S. Parks, 16,000–22,500 sq ft size group, reporting year end… $3,288,661 other 16,000–22,500 sq ft maximum Gross Sales · 2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 73 Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Franchisee-owned U.S. Parks, 22,501–25,000 sq ft size group, reporting year end… $2,015,495 other 22,501–25,000 sq ft average Gross Sales · 2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 73 +4 more groups in the full report |
Item 19 groups are shown separately and never combined. Revenue or sales figures are not profit. Net outlet change and turnover are Franopolis calculations from the disclosed counts; turnover is a count-based rate, not a measure of owner earnings.
Big Blue Swim School vs Sky Zone: common questions
- Which costs less to open, Big Blue Swim School or Sky Zone?
- Big Blue Swim School: $1,898,350 – $3,478,100 (2026 FDD · Item 7); Sky Zone: $234,600 – $6,400,210 (2026 FDD · Item 7). These are each franchisor's Item 7 estimated initial investment. The low end of the disclosed estimate is lower for Sky Zone. At least one range spans several business formats. Estimates are not quotes, and the FDD years may differ.
- How do Big Blue Swim School and Sky Zone royalties compare?
- Big Blue Swim School: 6% (2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 14); Sky Zone: 6% (2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 18). Royalties as disclosed in Item 6; other recurring fees are listed separately.
- Which has more locations, Big Blue Swim School or Sky Zone?
- Big Blue Swim School: 52 (2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 71); Sky Zone: 490 (2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 75). Total outlets from Item 20. Outlet counts do not indicate territory availability or franchisee results.
- Do Big Blue Swim School and Sky Zone disclose financial performance (Item 19)?
- Big Blue Swim School has reviewed Item 19 figures for 10 location groups; Sky Zone has reviewed Item 19 figures for 7 location groups. Different location groups are not directly comparable, and revenue is not profit.
Answers restate the reviewed figures above. Not a ranking or recommendation.