Gitnux/Report 2026

Sport and Fitness Industry Statistics

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Sport and Fitness Industry Statistics
Samuel NorbergWritten by Samuel Norberg·Fact-checked by Maya Johansson
Published
How this report is researched
01Editorial Scope

Gitnux editors write the brief first: the topic, the inclusion rules, and the frame for what belongs.

02Source Research

Agents search the published record and log every extracted figure back to the passage it came from.

Read our full methodology →

Search agents attach provenance to every extracted figure.

Next review: within 39 days

01 Industry overview

The sport and fitness industry at a glance

The U.S. sport and fitness industry is expanding, with 250 million Americans participating in at least one sport, fitness, or outdoor activity in 2025 and U.S. fitness-facility membership reaching 81 million in 2025.

250M[26]
U.S. participants, 2025
81M[25]
U.S. fitness members, 2025
$417B[101]
Global sports market, 2025
676,200[86]
U.S. fitness-center jobs, 2024
Market size
The global sports industry was estimated at $417 billion in 2025. In the United States, the health and fitness center industry had a reported economic impact of $22.4 billion and 55,294 locations in 2024.[101][22]
Forecast & CAGR
Global sports media-rights spending is forecast to rise from $65 billion in 2025 to $78.2 billion in 2030, equivalent to a 3.8% compound annual growth rate. U.S. sports media-rights payments are estimated at $29.25 billion in 2025 and are forecast to reach $37 billion by 2030.[102][103]
Market share & regions
North America is the largest regional sports-media-rights market: U.S. rights payments alone were expected to account for more than half of the global total in 2025, at $29.25 billion. The global rights market also includes Western Europe, Asia-Pacific, Central and South America, Central and Eastern Europe, and the Middle East and North Africa.[103][102]
Segmentation
The U.S. participation market spans 126 sports, fitness, and leisure activities tracked by SFIA. Team sports reached 92.3 million participants ages six and older in 2025, up 7.6% year over year, while fitness facilities counted 81 million members and more than 100 million total users in 2025.[26][25]
Key players & concentration
Sports-media rights are concentrated among a small group of major properties: the top 15 leagues accounted for approximately $40 billion to $45 billion of the $65 billion global total in 2025. The NFL alone represented $11.5 billion, while the NBA and Formula 1 each represented $5.5 billion in the cited market analysis.[102]
Trends, drivers & challenges
Participation is rising, but cost pressure is becoming more visible: 30.2% of U.S. participants reported higher participation costs in 2026 than the previous year, citing inflation, facility or membership fees, equipment, and tariffs. Commercial fitness demand remained resilient in the first half of 2026, although average visits per facility fell 0.5% year over year in the second quarter.[26][22]
Consumer behavior & competition
U.S. fitness-facility membership reached a record 81 million people in 2025, equal to 26.1% penetration among Americans aged six and older. Pickleball had 7.6 million fitness-facility members, and 64.8% of those participants played weekly, indicating strong competition for habitual engagement and facility time.[25]
M&A
Fitness M&A remained active in 2025: disclosed transaction value reached $3.2 billion across 102 deals, compared with $4.5 billion across 115 deals in 2024. Notable transactions included TSG Consumer Partners' agreement to acquire EōS Fitness, which had more than 200 gym locations open or in development, and Benefit Systems' $431.6 million acquisition of Türkiye's MAC Group.[104][25]
Regulation
The FTC's 2024 amended Negative Option Rule was intended to require clear disclosures, informed consent, and cancellation that is as easy as sign-up, but the federal rule was vacated by the Eighth Circuit in 2025. The FTC restarted rulemaking in 2026, while enforcement under existing consumer-protection laws and state auto-renewal rules remains relevant to gym memberships.[105][106]
Latest news
SFIA reported in August 2026 that U.S. sports and fitness participation had reached a new record high, while HFA reported that commercial fitness demand remained resilient through the first half of 2026. In September 2026, SFIA reported that team-sports participation had reached a record 92.3 million Americans in 2025.[26][22]

02 Ranking

Top 10 Companies in the Sport And Fitness Industry

The leading companies in the sport and fitness industry, ranked on market impact, performance, momentum, innovation and brand popularity.

Updated November 10, 2026 · Next review December 10, 2026

Verdict

Amer Sports leads Gitnux's 2026 sport and fitness ranking with an Overall score of 9.2, with revenue growth 26.7% and operating margin 10.7%. Decathlon is the highest-ranked sports equipment and apparel retailer at 8.9, with €16.8 billion in 2025 net sales and 103,000 teammates.

Ranked by Overall score · How we score ↓

Editor's top 3 picks

Where to start, by need.

  1. #1 Overall · Leader in sportswear and gear

    Amer Sports

    FI

    Ranked #1 · 9.2 · Sportswear and gear

    Why we picked it: It sells outdoor, winter and ball sports brands at scale, with 26.7% revenue growth and 10.7% operating margin signals.

    See in ranking ↓Visit amersports.com ↗

  2. Leader in sports retail and

    Decathlon

    FR

    Ranked #2 · 8.9 · Sports retail and brands

    Why we picked it: It runs sports equipment and apparel brands with retail operations supported by €16.8 billion net sales and 103,000 teammates.

    See in ranking ↓Visit decathlon-united.media ↗

  3. Leader in fitness equipment

    Technogym

    IT

    Ranked #5 · 8.8 · Fitness equipment

    Why we picked it: It builds cardio, strength, functional and connected fitness equipment, with 13% revenue growth and 16.1% operating margin signals.

    See in ranking ↓Visit technogym.com ↗

Pick 1 is the #1 company overall. Picks 2 and 3 are the highest-ranked companies in the top 5 that add a new segment.

Full ranking

Sort by
Top 10 companies in the sport and fitness industry, 2026 – Gitnux ranking
#CompanyOverall ↓Company snapshot
1

Amer Sports

Sportswear and gear · FI

9.2
2

Decathlon

Sports retail and brands · FR

8.9
3

adidas

Sportswear and gear · DE

8.9
4

Nike

Sportswear and gear · US

8.8
5

Technogym

Fitness equipment · IT

8.8
6

Basic-Fit

Low-cost fitness clubs in Europe · NL

8.6
7

PureGym

Low-cost fitness clubs in Europe · GB

8.6
8

Planet Fitness

High-value, low-price fitness clubs · US

8.5
9

Acushnet

Golf equipment, balls, footwear and apparel · US

8.3
10

Peloton

Connected fitness equipment and subscriptions · US

8.1

How we score

  • Impact (30%): scale and weight in the market (revenue, market share, employees, market position).
  • Performance (20%): recent revenue growth and operating margin; an analyst assessment where a company does not publish them.
  • Momentum (20%): growth trajectory and future potential.
  • Innovation (15%): R&D intensity and how technologically advanced the company is.

Popularity (brand search demand, 15%) counts toward Overall but is not published as a column. Overall leaves out what is not known.

Scale Scores are shown on a 7–10 scale with one decimal; bars start at 7.0.

Cadence Recalculated when new figures are published; next review December 10, 2026.

Independence. Rankings are editorially independent. Scores, ranks, picks and the verdict follow the method above; no company can pay to change them.

Cite this ranking

APA

Samuel Norberg. (2026, November 10). Top 10 companies in the sport and fitness industry. In Sport And Fitness Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/sport-and-fitness-industry-statistics/#top-companies

report visual · Projection

Revenue of fitness and recreational sports centers, all establishments (United States)

Revenue of fitness and recreational sports centers, all establishments grew from $35.1B in 2019 to $43.6B in 2024.

$35.1B
Start
+4.44%
CAGR · 5y
$43.6B
Projected
20192024
source-verifiedfred.stlouisfed.org2024

04 Statistics

Technology & Innovation

AI and connected tooling show broad operational uptake across fitness and sports media. 81% of sports-media organisations expanded AI use during the previous year in a 2026 survey.

AI in the sport and fitness industry

  • 17% of boomer fitness consumers had used an AI-powered fitness or wellness app in 2025.[1]
  • 68% of sports executives expected new AI-based products to have a high or utmost impact on the industry in 2024.[2]
  • 17% of surveyed fitness-app users used AI apps daily for fitness or wellness needs in 2025.[1]
  • 81% of sports-media organisations expanded their AI use during the previous year, according to a 2026 survey.[3]
  • 88% of senior sports executives globally expressed confidence in AI adoption in 2026.[4]
  • 33% of UK residents used AI tools to support their fitness in 2025.[5]

Automation in the sport and fitness industry

  • 100% of WNBA teams received access to league-wide optical tracking and associated analytics tools from 2024.[6]
  • 83% of surveyed UK gym operators offered a member app in 2025.[7]
  • 10 specialised cameras tracked 29 body points per player in UEFA Euro 2024 semi-automated offside technology.[8]
  • 27% of surveyed UK gym operators offered online member self-service in 2025.[7]
  • 92% of surveyed UK gym operators used gym-management software in 2025.[7]

Digital Transformation in the sports, fitness and recreation sector (sector benchmark)

  • 89% of UK fitness and leisure operators said digital helped increase customer retention in 2023.[9]
  • 53% of UK fitness and leisure operators said digital accounted for at least half of their revenue in 2023.[9]
  • 55% of fitness and leisure operators in the UK reported a digital maturity score in 2023, compared with 52% across the wider sport and physical-activity sector.[9]
  • 88% of UK fitness and leisure operators reported at least some operational savings through digital use in 2023.[9]
  • 93% of UK fitness and leisure operators said digital helped increase participation in 2023.[9]
  • 77% of UK fitness and leisure operators said their digital experiences played an important role for customers in 2023.[9]

Technology Adoption in the sports, fitness and recreation sector (sector benchmark)

  • 92% of UK gym operators used gym-management software in 2025.[7]
  • 83% of UK gym operators had a member app in 2025.[7]
  • 5% of fitness and wellness businesses reported cutting technology spending in 2025.[10]
  • 54% of fitness and wellness operators were investing in or evaluating new technology in 2025, comprising 18% actively investing and 36% reviewing their technology stack.[10]
  • 70% of UK gym operators offered online joining in 2025.[7]
  • 58% of integrative-health operators were actively investing in or evaluating technology in 2025.[10]

Cloud Computing in the sports, fitness and recreation sector (sector benchmark)

  • Among U.S. arts, entertainment and recreation companies using cloud-based computing, 47.0% cited improving process or method quality and reliability as a motivation in 2018.[11]
  • Across UK sport, fitness and leisure organisations, 68% used cloud-based leisure-management systems in 2024.[12]
  • Among U.S. arts, entertainment and recreation companies using cloud-based computing, 12.8% cited automating tasks performed by labor as a motivation in 2018.[11]
  • Among U.S. arts, entertainment and recreation companies using cloud-based computing, 27.1% cited another reason for adoption in 2018.[11]
  • Among U.S. arts, entertainment and recreation companies using cloud-based computing, 36.0% cited upgrading outdated processes or methods as a motivation in 2018.[11]
  • Across UK sport, fitness and leisure organisations, 100% were considering updates or changes to their cloud-based leisure-management systems within the next 12 months in 2024.[12]

Big Data in the sports, fitness and recreation sector (sector benchmark)

  • 44% of U.S. fitness-studio owners used their CRM to track customer interactions and communications in 2024.[13]

05 Statistics

Data & Analytics

Sports analytics spend keeps rising, with $5.7 billion estimated for 2025 and $7.0 billion estimated for 2026. Cloud deployment also projects growth to 2031.

Business intelligence in the sport and fitness industry

  • 31.0% was Europe’s share of global sports analytics revenue in 2025.[14]
  • 18.5% is the projected compound annual growth rate of the global sports analytics market from 2026 to 2033.[14]
  • $7.0 billion was the estimated global sports analytics market size for 2026.[14]
  • 60.0% was the software segment’s share of the global sports analytics market in 2025.[14]
  • $5.7 billion was the estimated global sports analytics market size in 2025.[14]
  • 28.06% is the projected compound annual growth rate for cloud sports-analytics deployment through 2031.[15]

Data analytics in the sport and fitness industry

  • 20.6% is the projected compound annual growth rate of the global sports analytics market from 2025 to 2030.[16]
  • 30% of surveyed sports-app users in 2026 said they used live statistics and analytics more than one to two years earlier.[17]
  • $1.78 billion was the estimated global sports analytics market size in 2022.[18]
  • $2.32 billion was the estimated global sports analytics market size in 2023.[18]
  • €3.1 billion was the projected global sports analytics market size for 2025.[16]
  • 41% of surveyed sports fans used live-event apps for stats or analytics in 2025.[17]

Data Quality in the sports, fitness and recreation sector (sector benchmark)

  • 27% of Australian sports organisations identified data quality and completeness as their biggest membership-data challenge in 2021.[19]
  • 39% of Australian sports organisations identified ticketing-data quality as a challenge in 2021.[19]
  • 27% of FIFA-sample football organisations disagreed or strongly disagreed that international sports-data metrics were clear and consistent in the study published in 2024.[20]
  • 65% of Australian sports organisations said improving the quality of ticketing data was an objective in 2021.[19]
  • 7% of Australian sports organisations ranked distrust in their data among their top three data challenges in 2021.[19]

Data Governance in the sports, fitness and recreation sector (sector benchmark)

  • 56% of Irish sports clubs lacked a data-retention schedule in 2024, based on a survey of more than 100 clubs across four sports.[21]
  • 31% of football national-federation respondents reported standardized data management with integrated sources and defined procedures in the study published in 2024.[20]
  • 41% of Irish sports clubs reported having no data-protection policies in 2024, based on a survey of more than 100 clubs.[21]
  • 9% of Irish sports clubs said they had conducted a data-protection impact assessment in 2024, based on a survey of more than 100 clubs.[21]
  • 41% of FIFA-sample football organisations said their data-analysis strategy was consistent across all business units in the study published in 2024.[20]
  • 53% of professional-club respondents reported standardized data management with integrated sources and defined procedures in the study published in 2024.[20]

KPIs in the sport and fitness industry

  • 175 companies contributed data to the Health and Fitness Association’s 2025 benchmarking report.[22]
  • 66.4% was the median member-retention rate reported by fitness operators in 2024.[22]
  • 5.5% was the median net membership growth reported by fitness operators in 2024.[22]
  • 9.9% was the median revenue growth rate reported by fitness operators in 2024.[22]
  • 23.6% was the median EBITDA margin reported by fitness operators in 2024.[23]
  • 25% of Wodify-tracked fitness businesses grew from 50 to 100 clients in 11.1 months.[24]

06 Statistics

Strategy & Growth

Operator growth data points to retention and deal activity, with 102 fitness-industry deals worth $3.2 billion in 2025. U.S. fitness operators reported 9.9% median revenue growth in 2024.

Growth in the sport and fitness industry

  • 9.9% was the median revenue growth rate for surveyed U.S. fitness operators in 2024.[22]
  • 10.7% was the median revenue increase reported by participating global fitness operators in 2025 versus 2024.[25]
  • 26.1% was U.S. gym-membership penetration among people aged six and older in 2025.[25]
  • 2.9% was the U.S. sporting-goods industry’s growth rate in 2024, exceeding U.S. GDP growth of 2.8%.[26]
  • 6.4% was the global fitness subsector’s average annual growth rate from 2019 to 2024.[27]
  • 5.5% was the median net membership growth rate for surveyed U.S. fitness operators in 2024.[22]

Differentiation in the sport and fitness industry

  • 5.5% was median net membership growth among surveyed U.S. fitness operators in 2024, indicating differentiation through retention and acquisition performance.[22]
  • 46% was the increase in Garmin-user Pilates activity in 2025 versus 2024.[28]
  • 65-plus HYROX races were held during the 2023–24 season across the global fitness-racing series.[29]
  • 45% was the increase in Garmin-user HIIT activity in 2025 versus 2024.[28]
  • 14.2% was global fitness-market growth from 2023 to 2024, versus 3.3% for sports and active recreation.[27]
  • 29% was the increase in Garmin-user strength-training activity in 2025 versus 2024.[28]

Mergers and acquisitions in the sport and fitness industry

  • $431.6 million was the value of Benefit Systems’ acquisition of Türkiye’s MAC Group in May 2025.[25]
  • 60 Altafit clubs were acquired by Smartfit during the Spanish fitness-sector consolidation reported in 2026.[30]
  • 12 European health-and-fitness merger or acquisition deals transferred ownership of 142 clubs in 2023.[23]
  • 115 fitness-industry deals worth $4.5 billion were recorded globally in 2024.[25]
  • 102 completed fitness-industry deals worth $3.2 billion were recorded globally in 2025.[25]
  • 35 gyms were included in Fitness International’s 2024 acquisition of XSport Fitness in the United States.[31]

Strategic partnerships in the sport and fitness industry

  • 4 Southern California coaches received $1,000 awards under 24 Hour Fitness’s San Diego Wave partnership.[32]
  • 90 Spartan event weekends across 29 markets were covered by Optimum Nutrition’s 2024 partnership.[33]
  • 12 teams comprised the WNBA when New Balance became an official partner in 2024.[34]
  • 4 years was the term of PUMA’s worldwide apparel and footwear partnership with HYROX, covering 2024 through 2027.[29]
  • 4 years was the term of the NFL’s extended Nike partnership announced in 2024.[6]
  • 100 million-plus people was the reach target cited for Rhone’s mental-fitness mission in its NBA partnership.[34]

07 Statistics

People & Workforce

Workforce stability and skills gaps remain measurable. The median member-retention rate for U.S. fitness operators was 66.4% in 2024.

Hiring in the sport and fitness industry

  • 3136 clicks per job and 79 applicants per job were recorded for fitness employers in the 2024 recruiting benchmark report.[35]
  • 52% of sports-industry jobs were entry-level or internship roles in September 2026.[36]
  • 8% fewer sports-industry job postings were recorded in September 2026 than in August among 166 employers posting in both months.[36]
  • 49,000+ ISSA-certified coaches were connected through Career Connect with more than 23,000 hiring fitness facilities globally.[37]
  • 94% of surveyed ISSA gym partners said they would use a platform providing pre-vetted, job-ready trainers.[38]

Employee retention in the sport and fitness industry

  • 30% of European sport employers identified limited career-progression pathways as a staff-retention barrier.[39]
  • 31.2% of European sport-sector respondents cited better employment types, such as permanent contracts, elsewhere as a reason for retention difficulties.[40]
  • 9.9% was the reported turnover rate for salaried club-level employees in the U.S. commercial health and fitness industry.[25]
  • 90.9% of European fitness clubs identified fitness instructors or personal trainers as the job role with the greatest retention difficulties.[40]
  • 85.7% of European sport clubs identified coaches as the job role with the greatest retention difficulties.[40]

Remote Work in the sports, fitness and recreation sector (sector benchmark)

  • In U.S. arts, entertainment and recreation, 22.1% of employees worked fully remotely in November 2024.[41]
  • Across European sport organisations, 24.4% had neither used nor heard of remote working in 2025.[40]
  • Across European sport organisations, 46.4% reported using remote working in 2025.[40]
  • Across European sport organisations, 29.2% had heard of remote working but had not used it in 2025.[40]

Hybrid Work in the sports, fitness and recreation sector (sector benchmark)

  • In U.S. arts, entertainment and recreation, 30.0% of employees worked in hybrid arrangements in November 2024.[41]
  • Across sports industry professionals, 46% were still working from the office five days a week in 2025.[42]
  • Across sports industry professionals, 70% preferred hybrid working in 2025.[42]
  • Among U.S. employees with remote-capable jobs, 54% worked hybrid in August 2026.[43]

Upskilling in the sport and fitness industry

  • 41.8% of European sport employers said they partly reviewed workforce skills and training needs.[40]
  • 37,893 sports and entertainment venue employees were certified through TEAM in fiscal 2026.[44]
  • 48.5% of European sport employers cited insufficient funds as the main barrier to arranging training.[40]
  • 91%+ of European sport employers agreed that staff need access to ongoing training to keep skills up to date.[40]
  • 69% of employee TEAM certifications in the sports and entertainment venue sector were completed online in fiscal 2026.[44]

Employee Engagement in the sports, fitness and recreation sector (sector benchmark)

  • Globally, 16% of employees were actively disengaged in 2025.[43]
  • Globally, 64% of employees were not engaged in 2025.[43]
  • Among U.S. employees with remote-capable jobs, 30% of exclusively remote workers were engaged in 2025.[43]
  • Among U.S. employees with remote-capable jobs, 25% of hybrid workers were engaged in 2025.[43]
  • Among professional sports teams, 73% of employees were engaged between July 2025 and June 2026.[45]

DEI in the sport and fitness industry

  • 82% of European sport employers recognised the precarious nature of sport employment, affecting workforce inclusion and stability.[46]
  • 74% of clerical workers in European sport organisations were female in 2024.[40]

08 Statistics

Customer & Sales

Customer acquisition and engagement shifts track community-driven motivation and digital review behavior. U.S. fitness-facility membership reached 81 million in 2025.

Customer experience in the sport and fitness industry

  • 67% of fitness members said community was their biggest driver of motivation and accountability in ABC Fitness’s 2026 U.S. member research.[1]
  • 56% of surveyed U.S. Millennials had taken a photo or video of themselves at the gym, compared with 40% of Millennials in the gym-reputation study.[47]
  • 24.9% of Americans aged six and older held a fitness-facility membership in 2024.[22]
  • 47% of surveyed U.S. consumers said they would consult online reviews before signing up for a gym.[47]
  • 40% of surveyed U.S. Millennials had taken a photo or video of themselves at the gym.[47]

Customer retention in the sport and fitness industry

  • 5% was the year-over-year decline in new studio joins in ABC Fitness’s summer 2026 data.[1]
  • 81% of fitness, wellness and beauty businesses investing in technology were confident about their performance in 2025.[10]
  • 9% was the year-over-year decline in new gym joins in ABC Fitness’s U.S. summer 2026 data.[1]
  • 8% was the year-over-year increase in cancellations at U.S. gyms in ABC Fitness’s summer 2026 data.[1]
  • 72% of fitness, wellness and beauty operators were confident about their business performance in 2025.[10]

Customer acquisition in the sport and fitness industry

  • 21% of fitness and wellness businesses identified email marketing as one of their most effective client-acquisition channels in 2025.[10]
  • 13% of Wodify businesses grew from 100 to 150 clients within an average of 13 months.[24]
  • 8% of fitness and wellness businesses identified paid-media advertising as one of their most effective client-acquisition channels in 2025.[10]
  • 42% of fitness and wellness businesses identified Facebook as one of their most effective client-acquisition channels in 2025.[10]
  • 42% of fitness and wellness businesses identified Google or SEO as one of their most effective client-acquisition channels in 2025.[10]

Customer loyalty in the sport and fitness industry

  • 42% of surveyed U.S. sports fans displayed incentivized loyalty in the 2024 Customer Loyalty Index.[48]
  • 84% of surveyed U.S. sports fans said they generally acted as more loyal consumers than other Americans, compared with 69% of the general sample.[48]
  • 40% of surveyed U.S. sports fans said hometown was the primary reason for their team loyalty.[49]
  • 54% of surveyed U.S. sports fans displayed true loyalty to products, retailers, brands and services in the 2024 Customer Loyalty Index.[48]
  • 14% of surveyed U.S. sports fans said family history was the primary reason for their team loyalty.[49]

Lead generation in the sport and fitness industry

  • 42% of fitness and wellness businesses named Google or SEO one of their most effective lead-generation or client-acquisition channels in 2025.[10]
  • 360,000 leads were included in Wodify’s 2024 fitness-business benchmarking dataset.[24]
  • 7% of fitness and wellness businesses named TikTok one of their most effective lead-generation channels in 2025.[10]
  • 8% of fitness and wellness businesses named paid-media advertising one of their most effective lead-generation channels in 2025.[10]
  • 13% of Wodify businesses increased their customer base from 100 to 150 clients in an average of 13 months.[24]

09 Statistics

Marketing & Brand

Sponsorship and streaming metrics point to continued media investment patterns. Brand spending across major North American professional sports teams totaled $7.66 billion in 2024.

Marketing in the sport and fitness industry

  • 20,000 sponsorship deals were tracked across North American professional and collegiate sports through December 2024.[50]
  • 44 sponsorship deals per team was the WNBA average in 2024.[51]
  • 52% was the increase in average WNBA team sponsorship deals from 2022 to 2024.[51]
  • 220 sports properties were covered in SponsorUnited’s North American sports marketing partnerships report for 2024.[50]
  • $7.66 billion was spent by brands across major North American professional sports teams in 2024.[50]

Digital marketing in the sport and fitness industry

  • 16,937 million viewing minutes were recorded for streaming sports documentaries in 2024.[52]
  • 17.7% was the increase in sports social media valuation on YouTube in 2025.[53]
  • 4.2 different sports were watched in-season on average by U.S. internet households in 2025.[54]
  • 113% was the increase in viewing minutes for streaming sports documentaries from 2021 to 2024.[52]
  • 77.7% was the increase in sports social media valuation on TikTok in 2025.[53]

Branding in the sport and fitness industry

  • $137.9 million in sponsor media value was generated by the WNBA in the 2024 U.S. sports season.[55]
  • $2.3 billion in sponsor media value was generated by the NBA in the 2024 U.S. sports season.[55]
  • 35 NBA brands exceeded $1 million in sponsor media value in 2024.[56]
  • $7.4 million in sponsor media value was generated by Gainbridge in the 2024 WNBA season.[56]
  • 49% of U.S. consumers were aware of Visa’s Olympic association before the 2024 Paris Games.[52]

Social media in the sport and fitness industry

  • 0.3% was the median overall social-media engagement rate for professional sports teams in 2023.[57]
  • 1.2 billion combined followers were held by Premier League teams in 2025.[53]
  • 191.5 views per follower was the WNBA teams’ average social-media efficiency ratio in 2025.[53]
  • 39.1% was the follower engagement rate for Inter Miami CF’s Lionel Messi debut goal Reel in 2023.[57]
  • 8.6 billion combined engagements were generated by LaLiga teams in 2025.[53]

Influencer Marketing in the sports, fitness and recreation sector (sector benchmark)

  • TikTok sports and fitness influencer posts generated a 2.51% average engagement rate globally in 2023.[58]
  • Instagram accounted for 17.8 million sports and fitness influencer posts globally in 2023, with a 2.31% average engagement rate.[58]
  • Sports and fitness represented 18.7% of Instagram influencer estimated media value in Spain in 2024, the largest sector share.[59]
  • Sports and fitness influencer content achieved a 1.6% average engagement rate globally in 2023.[58]
  • Gymshark generated more than 16,000 influencer posts globally in 2023, with a 6.12% engagement rate.[58]

10 Statistics

Operations & Execution

Digital operations and multi-site execution remain tied to reported growth. Multi-site fitness operators reported median revenue growth of 12.2% in 2025.

Process optimization in the sport and fitness industry

  • 50.9% of respondents to a global sports digital-transformation survey came from the information-technology sector.[60]
  • 89% of UK fitness and leisure operators had a mobile app in 2023.[23]
  • 66.7% of sport organisations across 40 countries saw potential for artificial intelligence to improve operations in 2025.[61]
  • 7% of UK fitness and leisure operators used machine learning for automation in 2023.[23]
  • 94% of UK fitness and leisure operators offered online booking or purchasing in 2023.[23]

Operational efficiency in the sport and fitness industry

  • Multi-site fitness operators reported median revenue growth of 12.2% in 2025.[25]
  • The high-profit cohort of global fitness operators recorded a median EBITDA margin of 31.0% in 2025.[25]
  • The median member-retention rate among reporting U.S. fitness operators was 66.4% in 2024.[22]
  • 39.4% of U.S. health clubs improved facility energy efficiency to reduce operating costs in 2024.[62]
  • Median revenue growth among reporting global fitness operators was 10.7% in 2025.[25]

Quality management in the sport and fitness industry

  • 89% of UK fitness and leisure operators had an app supporting customer access or service delivery in 2023.[23]
  • 93% of UK fitness and leisure operators said digital technology increased participation in 2023.[23]
  • 64% of UK fitness and leisure operators provided digital products or services alongside physical services in 2023.[23]
  • 54% of U.S. boutique fitness studios had between 100 and 399 active memberships in 2024.[13]
  • 66.4% was the median member-retention rate reported by U.S. fitness operators for 2024.[22]

Supply chain in the sport and fitness industry

  • Pickleball wholesale sales in the United States increased 22% year over year in 2025.[26]
  • 184 strategic Tier 2 suppliers supported NIKE’s footwear and apparel supply chain as of May 31, 2025.[63]
  • Four NIKE footwear contract manufacturers accounted for approximately 59% of NIKE Brand footwear production in fiscal 2025.[63]
  • U.S. sporting-goods wholesale sales increased 3.7% in 2025, reaching almost $130 billion.[26]
  • The largest single NIKE finished-goods footwear factory accounted for approximately 11% of NIKE Brand footwear production in fiscal 2025.[63]

Outsourcing / Offshoring in the sports, fitness and recreation sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across EU enterprises sourcing internationally, 17.1% moved business functions to the United Kingdom during 2021–2023, an economy-wide offshoring benchmark.[46]
  • Across EU enterprises sourcing internationally, 27.8% cited lower non-labour costs as a motivation during 2021–2023, an economy-wide outsourcing benchmark.[46]
  • Across EU enterprises sourcing internationally, 72.8% moved business functions to other EU countries during 2021–2023, an economy-wide offshoring benchmark.[46]
  • Across EU enterprises sourcing internationally, 47.4% moved administrative and management functions abroad during 2021–2023, an economy-wide offshoring benchmark.[46]
  • Across EU enterprises sourcing internationally, 34.1% cited lower labour costs as a motivation during 2021–2023, an economy-wide outsourcing benchmark.[46]

11 Statistics

Finance & Pricing

Pricing strategy in the sport and fitness industry

  • 47% of U.S. boutique fitness studio owners reported frequent member requests for discounts and promotions in 2024.[13]
  • 6.2% was the average planned increase in operating dues reported by private clubs in 2025.[64]
  • $15 per month was Planet Fitness’s U.S. starting price for new Classic Card members in 2024.[65]
  • 6X was the reported lifetime-customer-value return from matching introductory offers to fitness-studio type in Mindbody data from 2022–2024.[10]
  • 40% of fitness and wellness businesses ranked discounted packages and pricing promotions among their leading 2025 growth tactics.[66]

Cost reduction in the sport and fitness industry

  • 15.2% of health-club respondents had cut programs or services to reduce operating costs in 2024.[62]
  • 34.2% was the projected increase in health-club operating costs between 2023 and 2025.[62]
  • 69.7% of health-club respondents had taken action to reduce operating costs in 2024.[62]
  • 39.2% was the median payroll ratio for single-site fitness operators in 2025.[25]
  • 35.5% was the median payroll ratio for multi-site fitness operators in 2025.[25]

Profitability in the sport and fitness industry

  • $175 was the average monthly revenue per member reported in BFS’s 2024 boutique-studio analysis.[67]
  • 9.9 times EBITDA was the reported average valuation multiple for fitness companies in 2023–2025 transactions.[30]
  • 20% was the profit margin cited as achievable by boutique studios adding approximately two net recurring members monthly in BFS’s 2024 analysis.[67]
  • 31.0% was the median EBITDA margin for HFA’s high-profit fitness-operator cohort in 2025.[25]
  • 12.0% was the median pre-tax earnings margin for HFA’s global fitness operators in 2025.[25]

Financial planning in the sport and fitness industry

  • 47.3% of respondents ranked facility improvements as their top anticipated 2025 investment priority.[68]
  • 57% of athletics, fitness and recreation respondents had a facility project underway, starting in 2025 or planned within five years.[68]
  • 74.3% of planned facility projects in the 2025 survey were expected to cost less than $10 million.[68]
  • 13.4% of athletics, fitness and recreation respondents reported lower 2025 budgets than in 2024.[68]
  • 49% of U.S. fitness studio owners planned to invest in new equipment and technology during the year after the 2024 survey.[13]

12 Statistics

Product & Service

Equipment lifecycles vary by category, with preventive maintenance lifetimes for gym equipment of 10–15 years. Some centers cite equipment replacement cycles as little as 3 years.

Product development in the sport and fitness industry

  • 26.8% was the increase in U.S. sporting-goods, fitness and related-recreation product sales from 2019 to 2023.[26]
  • 4.2% was the increase in U.S. sporting-goods, fitness and related-recreation product sales in 2023.[26]
  • $5 billion was the estimated cash sponsorship contributed by sporting-goods companies in 2024.[69]
  • $675 billion is the estimated annual global GDP contribution of sporting-goods companies and related activity.[69]
  • 3.32% was the R&D intensity of China’s outdoor-sports and consumer-goods firms in the study period.[70]

Product lifecycle in the sport and fitness industry

  • 10–15 years is the stated service life for professionally manufactured gym equipment with preventive maintenance.[71]
  • 2–3 years is the stated service life for fitness accessories including medicine balls, bands and mats.[72]
  • As little as 3 years was cited as the equipment replacement cycle in some fitness centers.[68]
  • 10+ years is the stated service life for commercial strength equipment such as racks, rigs and pulley stations.[72]
  • 5–10 years is the stated service life for commercial free weights, benches and racks.[72]

After-sales in the sport and fitness industry

  • 878,000 Peloton exercise bikes were recalled after seat-post breakage reports, according to the company’s 2025 product-safety disclosure.[6]
  • 8 Patagonia stores had mini repair centers installed in 2016.[73]
  • 53,065 Patagonia garments were repaired in the United States in 2016.[73]
  • 50 U.S. states were visited by Patagonia’s mobile repair centers in 2016.[73]
  • About 20% of MSRP is the estimated typical trade-in value for eligible Patagonia clothing and gear.[73]

Value proposition in the sport and fitness industry

  • 9% of U.S. consumers ranked modern equipment and machines as the most important gym-selection factor.[47]
  • 1,393 current and former U.S. gym and health-club members participated in Zenoti’s 2026 survey.[74]
  • 63% of U.S. gym members had decided to join before booking a tour or trial in Zenoti’s 2026 survey.[74]
  • 57% of surveyed U.S. consumers said 24/7 access would make them more likely to join or remain a gym member.[47]
  • 15% of U.S. consumers ranked cleanliness as the most important factor when selecting a gym.[47]

13 Statistics

Sustainability & Ethics

Material choices and carbon reporting link directly to quantified targets. Nike reported an 80% absolute reduction in operational Scope 1 and 2 emissions against its target baseline in fiscal 2025.

Sustainability in the sport and fitness industry

  • 84.5% of adidas paper-based packaging contained recycled material in 2024.[75]
  • 52% of Nike cotton by weight was third-party certified in fiscal 2024.[76]
  • 37.4% of adidas materials portfolio consisted of biological materials in 2024.[75]
  • 13% of Nike cotton by weight was certified organic in fiscal 2024.[76]
  • 34% of Nike’s enterprise carbon footprint was directly tied to material choices in fiscal 2024.[76]

ESG in the sport and fitness industry

  • 96% of S&P 500 companies published ESG reports in 2022, compared with 8% of surveyed sports venues publishing environmental governance reports.[77]
  • 10% of adidas polyester is targeted to come from recycled textile waste by 2030.[75]
  • 80% was Nike’s absolute reduction in operational Scope 1 and 2 emissions against its target baseline in fiscal 2025.[78]
  • 80% recycling into Nike products and other goods was the minimum share specified for its 2025 extended-supply-chain waste target.[78]
  • 100% waste diversion from landfill was Nike’s 2025 target for its extended supply chain.[78]

Ethics in the sport and fitness industry

  • 125 investigations were opened by the FIFA Ethics Committee during the 2023–2024 sporting period.[79]
  • 0.21% of football matches monitored by Starlizard were assessed as suspicious in 2024.[80]
  • 21 football matches received a high suspicion rating from Starlizard in 2024.[80]
  • More than 1,000 cases were received by the FIFA Disciplinary Committee during the 2023–2024 sporting period.[79]
  • 57.9% of Starlizard’s suspicious football matches in 2024 were played in domestic leagues below the top divisions.[80]

Circular economy in the sport and fitness industry

  • 108,307 tonnes of adidas paper-based packaging contained recycled material in 2024.[75]
  • 115,588 metric tons of Nike recycled polyester were used in fiscal 2024.[76]
  • 1,563 metric tons of Nike recycled cotton were used in fiscal 2024.[76]
  • 0.9% of Nike EVA foam by weight was recycled in fiscal 2024.[76]
  • 0.4% of Nike polyester by weight was recycled in fiscal 2020.[76]

Carbon footprint in the sport and fitness industry

  • 3.6 million metric tonnes of carbon were estimated for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.[81]
  • 52% of the estimated 2022 FIFA World Cup carbon footprint came from travel.[81]
  • 4.1 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent was the central annual estimate for England’s grassroots sport sector.[82]
  • 35% was Nike’s reported supply-chain emissions reduction against its 2020 baseline in fiscal 2025.[78]
  • 5.5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent was the high annual estimate for England’s grassroots sport sector.[82]

15 Statistics

Globalization & Expansion

International reporting broadens the market lens, while franchise economics show quantified mix. 2024 Planet Fitness franchise revenue represented 35.8% of total company revenue.

Globalization in the sport and fitness industry

  • 2024 Planet Fitness franchise revenue represented 35.8% of total company revenue.[95]
  • 2025 global fitness reporting included markets across Asia-Pacific, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East and North America.[22]
  • 2024 fitness-facility counts increased by nearly 4% on average among comparable markets.[96]
  • 2023 Basic-Fit operated 882 mature clubs with an average of 3,283 memberships per club.[97]
  • 2023 nearly 40% of the 25 club companies with the most memberships were based in Europe.[23]

Cultural adaptation in the sport and fitness industry

  • 2025 selected Japanese exercise-therapy facilities could qualify for medical-expense tax deductions.[66]
  • 2025 the HFA Global Report included country-specific market segmentation and consumer trends where data were available.[22]
  • 2027 mobile exercise applications ranked second in the United States but reached the top three only in Finland.[89]
  • 2025 HFA reporting identified Millennials and Generation Z as key growth drivers in global fitness markets.[23]
  • 2027 commercial or multipurpose gyms ranked among the top three fitness trends in 11 of 15 surveyed countries.[89]

Supplier management in the sport and fitness industry

  • 2024 Vietnam supplied 27% of adidas total product volume.[75]
  • 2024 DICK’S Sporting Goods stores received more than 90% of merchandise through its distribution-center network.[65]
  • 2023 Vietnam accounted for 26% of adidas total sourcing volume.[75]
  • 2023 Indonesia accounted for 19% of adidas total sourcing volume.[75]
  • 2024 China supplied 16% of adidas total product volume.[75]

Stakeholder management in the sport and fitness industry

  • 2025 57.7% of surveyed fitness operators expected EBITDA growth above 5%.[66]
  • 2025 the HFA Global Report was designed for operators, suppliers, investors, policymakers and advocates.[22]
  • 2024 86.8% of surveyed health-club operators expected membership to increase.[23]
  • 2024 93% of Planet Fitness members at corporate clubs paid monthly dues electronically by funds transfer.[95]
  • 2023 500 members, former players and staff attended Manchester City’s anniversary overseas-supporters-club dinner.[98]

Distribution channels in the sport and fitness industry

  • 2024 DICK’S Sporting Goods used stores, distribution centers, e-commerce fulfillment and vendor-direct shipping to serve customers.[65]
  • 2022 grocery retailers represented 27.2% of sports-nutrition retail channels.[99]
  • 2022 health and personal-care stores represented 16.1% of sports-nutrition retail channels.[99]
  • 2024 Foot Locker generated $6.517 billion through stores.[100]
  • 2024 Foot Locker generated $1.454 billion through direct-to-customer channels.[100]

Key questions about the sport and fitness industry

What is the size of the global sports market in 2025?
The global sports industry was estimated at $417 billion in 2025.
How fast is sports media-rights spending expected to grow?
Global sports media-rights spending is forecast to rise from $65 billion in 2025 to $78.2 billion in 2030, a 3.8% CAGR.
Which companies lead the sport and fitness industry?
Amer Sports leads Gitnux's 2026 sport and fitness ranking with an Overall score of 9.2, with revenue growth 26.7% and operating margin 10.7%. Decathlon is the highest-ranked sports equipment and apparel retailer at 8.9, with €16.8 billion in 2025 net sales and 103,000 teammates.
What technology shift shows up most clearly in 2025–2026 data?
AI adoption is moving from expectation into deployment: 81% of sports-media organisations expanded their AI use during the previous year, and 88% of senior sports executives globally expressed confidence in AI adoption in 2026.
How concentrated is sports-media rights spending?
Sports-media rights are concentrated among major properties: the top 15 leagues accounted for about $40 billion to $45 billion of the $65 billion global total in 2025.
What does the U.S. participation and membership base look like?
In 2025, 250M Americans participated in at least one sport, fitness, or outdoor activity, and U.S. fitness-facility membership reached 81M.
Reference

Cite This Report

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APA
Samuel Norberg. (2026, November 10). Sport And Fitness Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/sport-and-fitness-industry-statistics
MLA
Samuel Norberg. "Sport And Fitness Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 10 Nov 2026, https://gitnux.org/sport-and-fitness-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Samuel Norberg. 2026. "Sport And Fitness Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/sport-and-fitness-industry-statistics.

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