Market Segments & Leading Players

Market Segments

The year brought varied but mostly strong performance across market segments, with aggressive geographic expansion and strategic acquisitions a common theme among leaders. Once again, the mix of top-performing operators reflected the diverse needs of the public they serve.

High-value, low-price (HVLP) brands maintained their leadership in membership volumes. Planet Fitness, Basic-Fit, Smart Fit, Crunch, PureGym, and EōS Fitness all finished in the top 10 by member count. Basic-Fit’s acquisition of Clever Fit expanded the publicly traded firm’s presence in Europe. It marked the low-price operator’s entry into the franchise market, while VivaGym further consolidated its low-price position in Southern Europe by acquiring Synergym in early 2026.

Mid-priced and premium clubs claimed a presence across major regions. 24-hour brands Anytime Fitness and Snap Fitness held extensive global footprints, while Jetts, Fitness24Seven, and Plus Fitness remained prominent regional pillars. Legacy brands held their ground as well, led by LA Fitness and 24 Hour Fitness, while industry icons Gold’s Gym and World Gym maintained a global presence. Lifestyle clubs continued to expand as consumers showed growing willingness to prioritize high-end wellness. Life Time led the category in revenue, followed by David Lloyd Leisure, whose acquisition of Aspria clubs in early 2026 extended the UK operator’s presence into continental Europe.

Studio and boutique brands, meanwhile, continued to capture dedicated audiences through specialized formats. Among the top global studio franchises, Club Pilates and HOTWORX led unit growth, each exceeding 20%, while Orangetheory and F45 maintained a strong global presence.

Global Leading Players

This year’s rankings again demonstrate the viability of multiple business models in encouraging regular physical activity. Yet operational scale and market share remain concentrated among a handful of leading companies at the top of the global revenue, unit, and membership charts.

For the second straight year, Life Time, Inc. led all global operators in revenue, generating US$2.995 billion in 2025 — a 14.3% increase over the prior year — while serving roughly 1.6 million individual members. Purpose Brands led all global operators in unit footprint with 7,270 locations. The parent company of Anytime Fitness, Orangetheory Fitness, and The Bar Method served 6.2 million members, ranking third globally by membership.

Several leading players again secured top positions across multiple categories in 2025:

● Planet Fitness, based in the United States, ranked #3 in corporate revenue (US$1.32 billion) and #3 in total units (2,896), with its 20.8 million members setting an industry record.

● Basic-Fit, headquartered in the Netherlands, ranked #2 in corporate revenue (US$1.59 billion) and #5 in total units (2,151), with 5.8 million members (#4) and 36.5% member growth (#5).

● Smart Fit, based in Brazil, ranked #4 in revenue (US$1.3 billion) and #6 in total units (2,084), with 5.21 million members (#5) and 29.8% revenue growth (#6).

● Benefit Systems Group, headquartered in Poland, ranked #6 in revenue (US$1.21 billion) and led global unit growth (68.0%) and member growth (139.7%), ending the year with 546 owned units after acquiring more than 140 clubs, including the 123-site MAC Group in Türkiye.

● LifeFit Group, based in Germany, led global revenue growth (51.3%) and ranked #3 in member growth (63%).

● EōS Fitness, based in the United States, finished second in global revenue growth (44.1%) and ranked #2 in member growth (66.7%), reaching record corporate figures.

● PureGym, headquartered in the UK, ranked #8 in global corporate revenue (US$978 million) and #7 in total members (2.3 million).

● Crunch Holdings, headquartered in the United States, ranked #17 in total units (547) and #6 in members (3.8 million), with 23.1% member growth (#6).

Other public firms also topped multiple charts. Viva Leisure, an Australian operator spanning premium, mid-market, 24-hour, and boutique concepts, ranked #7 in revenue growth (25.3%) with 518 units (#19). RIZAP Group in Japan ranked #7 in total revenue (US$1.12 billion) and #13 in members (1.2 million), while Xponential Fitness finished second in total units (3,097) and #21 in revenue (US$315 million).

Based in China, DANFIT ranked #21 in total units (417) with 1.5 million members (#11), while HILEFIT finished #4 in total units (2,200) with 17 million members (#2).

Notable franchise brands continued to serve health-conscious consumers. Anytime Fitness again ranked first among franchises, with 5,810 global locations, followed by Planet Fitness. Xponential Fitness continued to scale its multi-brand model, placing five boutique franchises in the top 25 — including Club Pilates (1,414 units), Pure Barre (625), and YogaSix (194).

Curves in Japan finished third among global franchises, with 2,001 units. F45 (1,403), Orangetheory Fitness (1,378), Snap Fitness (1,017), HOTWORX (876), Pure Barre (625), and Gold’s Gym (548) round out the top 10 franchises globally by unit count in 2025.