FranCloud Research · Report
State of fitness franchising 2026
925 brands. Growth polarizing between boutique Pilates (+18.5%) and legacy group fitness (−15.5%). PE consolidating the winners. Tech mandates nearly nonexistent, but changing fast.
What’s inside
- Top 20 fitness brands ranked by unit count with growth rates, AUV, royalty rates, and PE ownership status.
- PE consolidation map: Purpose Brands (3,750u), Xponential (1,881u), Unleashed (1,339u), every brand under every platform.
- Tech adoption benchmark: 451 systems across 925 brands, with no vendor mandated by more than 7. Full greenfield analysis.
- Royalty landscape: rates from 4% to 20%, cross-referenced with unit growth to identify buying pressure.
- 2027 outlook: three predictions: PE acceleration, tech mandate arrival, and the royalty pressure index as standard vendor tool.
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