CrossFit Open 25.1 Livestream Viewership Down from 2024

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Good morning and welcome to the Morning Chalk Up.

In today’s edition:

• CrossFit Open livestream viewership for 25.1 dipped a little year over year, both in concurrent and 24-hour totals.

• Jason Fernandez (CF-L4), co-founder of Best Hour of Their Day has eight tips to help you improve your affiliate’s sales numbers.

• Three-time HYROX World Champion and current world record holder, Lauren Weeks got her start in CrossFit. The methodology remains a key to her success. Learn more about her fitness journey below.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“Both my husband and I are really big believers in the whole methodology of CrossFit. That's why we continued our education. And with my training, sure, there's a ton of endurance work, but at the base we still believe in the CrossFit methodology.” - Lauren Weeks (CF-L2), current HYROX world record holder on the role of CrossFit in her life and training.

CROSSFIT GAMES

25.1 CrossFit Open Livestream Numbers Dip Slightly From 2024

The 2024 CrossFit Open kicked off at noon PT on Thursday, February 27, with the announcement of 25.1 at CrossFit Mayhem in Cookeville, TN. 

With the Open registration numbers roughly 35 percent lower than 2024 at the time of the announcement, the livestream followed the downward trend, albeit to a lesser degree. 

The max concurrent views on YouTube were down 22 percent compared to 24.1, but still 9 percent ahead of 23.1. 

One big thing: In 2024, both maximum concurrent views (how many people were watching at once) and overall livestream views (after 24 hours) increased from the previous year, following an upward trajectory since a big drop in 2020. 

• This is the first time we have seen a dip since then. The 25.1 views were higher than 24.3, however, when the workout leaked early. 

The details: The 25.1 announcement recorded a maximum concurrent viewership of 125,034 as the workout was being revealed by Rick Roman of FDNY CrossFit. The peak of viewership at the release of the workout is common. 

It slowly dropped but stayed above 100,000 as Haley Adams, Roman Khrennikov, Austin Hatfield, and Rich Froning tackled the workout. The total view count (after 24 hours) was 707,392.

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SPEED READS

🚨🚨 The CrossFit Open Is Here! The 2025 CrossFit Open started last Thursday with 25.1 and will continue through March 17, so sign up now!

• Make sure to submit your score by 5 p.m. PT, TODAY (Monday, March 3)!

🤓💪 WODprep Tips for 25.1: Still planning to hit 25.1 one more time before the deadline? Before you do, check out this video for last minute tips and strategy from Ben Dziwulski and the team at WODprep!

📖 ✍️ Grip Rule Revision: In case you missed it, CrossFit revised and reversed its gymnastics grips policy in the 2025 CrossFit Games rulebook.

• Rule 7.03 now reads (in part), “Gloves/grips may be made of any material but must maintain a consistent thickness,” and “Grips may be any length.”

📺 🇩🇪 At the Crossroads: Check out this short, beautifully shot, video featuring German CrossFit star Moritz Fiebig. He discusses his plans for the season and offers his take on current debates and controversies surrounding the CrossFit community.

ICYMI: CrossFit Open Workout 25.1 is here! Get tips and strategies from coaches Matt Torres, John Singleton, Justin Cotler, Kyle Rolfe, and Perrin Behr.

MEMBER EXCLUSIVE

8 Steps to Skyrocket Your CrossFit Affiliate's Sales

As a CrossFit affiliate owner, you probably excel at converting the prospects who walk through your door. But are you maximizing your sales potential at every stage of the funnel - including the stages before you ever meet them?

Implement these eight steps to create a frictionless sales experience that leaves prospects eager to join your community.

Step 1: Optimize Your Website's User Experience

Your website is often the first point of contact with potential members.

Use high-quality, relatable photos that showcase people performing accessible movements like box step-ups and kettlebell swings.

• Pictures of members laughing and interacting with coaches can also help prospects envision themselves as part of your community.

Strategically place clear calls to action (CTAs) throughout your site. Keep forms simple, asking only for essential information such as name, email, and phone number.

HYROX

From CrossFit to HYROX Elite: Champ Lauren Weeks Balances Motherhood and Training for Worlds

Current HYROX female world record holder and three-time world champion Lauren Weeks is in the thick of her HYROX season. 

She’s also simultaneously chasing around her toddler and coaching other athletes. 

Remind me: Weeks’ 2024/25 season started with a bang in the Netherlands at the end of last year where she took first place, finishing with a time of 58:12. 

• Worth noting: She won her third world championship 10 months after giving birth to her daughter Lily. She is confirmed for two more races this season before the 2024/25 World Championship.

The American athlete is a force and competes at the highest level of her sport now, but she got her start as a CrossFitter. 

She first learned about CrossFit as an ocean lifeguard in New York. A male-dominated field at the time, Weeks was the only female on the squad and would see the guys attempting CrossFit workouts, but never tried it out.

• “I was just too shy and embarrassed to ask to join in, even though I was intrigued by what they were doing. But I didn't forget,” Weeks told the Morning Chalk Up in an interview. 

Weeks then moved to South Carolina in 2014, where she continued ocean guarding and immediately started CrossFit. She was hooked.

HIGHLIGHTS

Celebrating a PR, hosting a fundraiser, this, that, or otherwise? Send us a tip.

• 🎂Happy birthday to Justin Medeiros.

• Congratulations to Katie of Upreach CrossFit in Austin, TX, on her first bar muscle-up.

• Check out Esteban Ospina tackling 25.1 - how many reps do you think he got?

• Congratulations to Fernanda from Brazil on her first bar muscle-up.

• 🔥Congratulations to Ella Price on this 120-kilo/264-pound jerk PR.

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