GEORGETOWN, Texas – June 8, 2026 – Sport Clips Haircuts, the nation’s leading men’s and boys’ haircare franchise, took home the 2026 Franchise Innovation Award for most innovative use of data in the operations and technology category as part of Franchise Update Media’s 8th Annual Franchise Innovation Awards.
Sport Clips’ PRO Stats data platform secured the top spot for the most innovative use of data by consolidating fragmented reporting into a single platform users could trust. PRO Stats represents a positive shift in how Sport Clips uses data to support franchisees and improve store performance. The platform was built to provide data centralization and governance and closed-loop integration along with built-in franchise enablement, role-based access, and direct support. As a result, PRO Stats consolidated hundreds of disconnected reports and manual processes into a single, governed platform, creating greater consistency, transparency, and accessibility of performance data across the Sport Clips’ system.
“What makes this recognition special is that PRO Stats wasn’t built as a technology project—it was built to help our franchisees make better decisions. Our team worked hard to simplify access to data, eliminate complexity, and create a consistent view of performance across the system. We’re incredibly proud of the impact the platform is having and honored to be recognized with this award,” said Danny Walsh, vice president of Data & Insights at Sport Clips.
Franchise Update Media’s annual awards program recognizes companies using innovation to solve real challenges, improve performance, and create measurable impact across their franchise systems. This year, a panel of judges reviewed more than 100 entries. Winners were selected across five categories: Marketing & Branding, Products & Services, Operations & Technology, Human Resources, and Franchise Development.
The winners will be recognized in Franchise Update magazine, available later this year at franchising.com/magazine.