Bodybuilding.com

Bodybuilding.com
Private company majority owned by Liberty Media
Industry Ecommerce, Fitness Industry
Founded 1999
Headquarters Boise, Idaho
Key people
 CEO Ryan DeLuca
Products Dietary supplements
Number of employees
 700+
Slogan We change lives.
Website Bodybuilding.com

Bodybuilding.com is an American online retailer based in Boise, Idaho, specializing in dietary supplements, sports supplements, and bodybuilding supplements. It is one of the Internet's most-trafficked health and fitness websites, with over 1 million daily visitors.[1]

In addition to its online store, Bodybuilding.com publishes daily editorial content, training plans, and streams live broadcasts of major bodybuilding competitions. It also operates its own fitness-themed social network, BodySpace, with over 2.7 million active members.[2] It also markets its own line of sports nutrition products under the brand names Bodybuilding.com Foundation Series and Platinum Series.


History

Bodybuilding.com grew out of wholesale-creatine.com, an online storefront created by teenage web marketer and amateur bodybuilder Ryan DeLuca in 1997, to capitalize on the rising popularity of creatine supplements.[3][4][5] After two years of success, usually filling orders out of his garage, DeLuca purchased the domain Bodybuilding.com for $20,000, at age 21.[6] The site went live on April 13, 1999.[7]

After years of rapid growth, a majority stake in Bodybuilding.com was acquired in July 2006 by Milestone Partners for an undisclosed amount.[8] That same year, Inc. Magazine ranked DeLuca number five on its list "30 Under 30: America's Coolest Entrepreneurs."[9] In January 2008, Liberty Media Corporation acquired a controlling stake in Bodybuilding.com for more than $100 million.[10] DeLuca stayed on as the company's CEO.

Bodybuilding.com corporate headquarters, Boise, ID

As of 2014, Bodybuilding.com is a nine-time honoree on the Inc. 5000 ranking of America's fastest-growing companies, with a reported revenue in 2013 of $420 million.[11] It has 785 employees working at eight locations, including distribution centers in North Las Vegas, NV; New Berlin, WI; Shiremanstown, PA; Midway, FL; Maarssen, Netherlands; and Boise, ID.[12] The corporate headquarters is also located in Boise, along with the company's customer service call center.

In 2013, the company donated the equipment for Boise's first outdoor gym, located in Ann Morrison Park.[13]

Misidentified drugs

In 2007, an FDA agent purchased several dietary supplements from the company which were determined to contain anabolic steroids. In May 2012, Bodybuilding.com was fined $7 million, and as part of the settlement, CEO DeLuca his brother Jeremy were both fined $600,000 for selling misbranded drugs.[14][15]

Contest Broadcasts

Since 2007, Bodybuilding.com has streamed free online broadcasts of the world's two largest bodybuilding and fitness and figure competitions, Joe Weider's Olympia Weekend and Arnold Schwarzenegger's Arnold Classic, now known as the Arnold Sports Festival.[16] At the Olympia Weekend, the events broadcast include the Mr. Olympia and Ms. Olympia competitions, as well as the 212 Olympia Showdown, Fitness Olympia, Figure Olympia, and since 2013, the Men's Physique Showdown and Women's Physique Showdown. At the Arnold Sports Festival, broadcasts cover the Arnold Classic bodybuilding competition and, since 2014, the Arnold Classic 212 for men, and the Ms. International, Fitness International, and Figure International, and Bikini International for women.

Bodybuilding.com's commentators at these events include former and current physique competitors and analysts such as Dave Farra, Larry Pepe, Bob Cicherillo, Dan Solomon, Lou Ferrigno, Ronnie Coleman, Nicole Wilkins-Lee, and Layne Norton, among others. In addition to analysis and play-by-play, the broadcasts include interviews with current and former competitors and a Webcast Fan's Choice Award.

Forum

Bodybuilding.com operates one of the Internet's most-trafficked forums, with over 7 million members, 5 million posts, and well over 100 million posts to date.[17][18] Bodybuilders and fitness personalities who have been active contributors include Serge Nubret, Ronnie Coleman, Jay Cutler, and Lee Priest.

See also

References

  1. ↑ ""Bodybuilding.com achievements"". www.bodybuilding.com. Retrieved 17 November 2014.
  2. ↑ ""Bodybuilding.com achievements"". www.bodybuilding.com. Retrieved 17 November 2014.
  3. ↑ DeLuca, Ryan. "Ask a guy who started Bodybuilding.com anything, part I". Retrieved 17 November 2014.
  4. ↑ "Catching Up with the 2006 30 Under 30 Alumni, Leading Your Company Article - Inc. Article". Retrieved 2007-11-20.
  5. ↑ DeLuca, Ryan. ""Ask a guy who started Bodybuilding.com anything, part II"". Retrieved 17 November 2014.
  6. ↑ DeLuca, Ryan. "Ask a guy who started Bodybuilding.com anything, part III". Retrieved 17 November 2014.
  7. ↑ DeLuca, Ryan. "Ask a guy who started Bodybuilding.com anything, part III". Retrieved 17 November 2014.
  8. ↑ "Milestone Completes Sale of Bodybuilding.com". Milestone Partners. Retrieved 17 November 2014.
  9. ↑ "Bodybuilding.com CEO ranked number five in America's Coolest Young Entrepreneurs!". Bodybuilding.com.
  10. ↑ Ando, Ritsuko (2008-01-07). "Liberty Media buying Bodybuilding.com stake: report". Reuters. Retrieved 2008-01-10.
  11. ↑ "Startup Grind: Ryan DeLuca, CEO of Bodybuilding.com". Startup Grind. Retrieved 17 November 2014.
  12. ↑ ""Bodybuilding.com achievements"". www.bodybuilding.com. Retrieved 17 November 2014.
  13. ↑ "Boise's first outdoor gym opens Thursday in Ann Morrison Park". KTVB News Channel 7 Boise. Retrieved 17 November 2014.
  14. ↑ Roberts, Bill. "Bodybuilding.com agrees to pay $7 million fine for violating Food and Drug act". Idaho Statesman. Retrieved 19 February 2013.
  15. ↑ "US FDA Criminal Investigations- May 22, 2012: Bodybuilding.com, LLC, Ryan Deluca, and Jeremy DeLuca Plead Guilty in Federal Court to Violating FDCA". Retrieved 2012-09-28.
  16. ↑ Bodybuilding.com. "Bodybuilding.com Announces Exclusive 2014 Olympia Webcast". www.bodybuilding.com. Retrieved 17 November 2014.
  17. ↑ "List of Internet Forums". Wikipedia.org. Retrieved 17 November 2014.
  18. ↑ "Forum Rankings". Retrieved 17 November 2014.