Read for Free: 2025 State of the UK Fitness Industry Report

TOP 10 OPERATORS

TOP 10 OPERATORS

PUBLIC SECTOR

PUBLIC SECTOR

2024 gyms

2025 gyms

Top 10 operators: Total gyms, 2022–2025

Rank Operator

250

745

195 191

1 GLL

Gyms

2022

2023

2024

2025

175 172

2 SLM (Everyone Active)

200

195

191

191

191

1.39 m

Members

175

172

97

95

3 Freedom Leisure

163

161

150

£680 m

Market value

70 81

4 Places Leisure

100

97

54 54

5 Parkwood Leisure

95

95

93

£38.22

Average fee

81

77

77

70

62

62

34 44

6 Serco Leisure

54

54

50

44

44

43

39

38

37

36

36

34

34

72%

33

Wet

29

38 33

7 YMCA

24

23

23

23

22

21

21

18

0

34 29

8 Fusion Lifestyle

GLL

SLM (Everyone Active)

Freedom Leisure

Places Leisure

Parkwood Leisure

Serco Leisure

YMCA

Fusion Lifestyle

Halo Leisure

High Life Highland

28%

Dry

21

23

9 Halo Leisure

operators over the past 12 months, expanding its portfolio by 11 gyms (-1 site but +12 through two new contracts). ■ Serco Leisure and Halo Leisure were the only other top 10 operators to increase their site numbers, adding 10 and two gyms respectively. ■ In contrast, YMCA and Fusion Lifestyle each dropped by five sites, Freedom Leisure’s estate fell by two and High Life Highland by one site. Parkwood Leisure maintained the same number of gyms as in 2024. ■ The top 10 operators remain unchanged from 2024. ■ Fusion Lifestyle has the highest average monthly membership fee among the top 10 operators and is the only one to exceed £45 on average. It is followed by Freedom Leisure, GLL and Parkwood Leisure, each of which charges slightly over £40 on average. ■ At the opposite end, High Life Highland offers the lowest average monthly fee, at approximately £26.50. ■ Compared to 2024, average monthly fees have increased by 6.2% at GLL, 8.0% at SLM (Everyone Active) and 1.3% at Freedom Leisure.

■ GLL, the UK’s leading public sector operator, took on “three significant new partnerships” (see interview, page 106), but nevertheless operates four fewer gyms in 2025 than in 2024. ■ SLM (Everyone Active) – the only other public sector operator with more than 100 gyms – has also seen a slight decline in the number of sites with gyms (-3 vs 2024). However, its overall estate has grown, including non-fitness sites (see interview, page 127). ■ Places Leisure (see interview, page 135) recorded the most significant growth among public sector

67

Average stations

24 23

10 High Life Highland

Market shares: Top 10 operators

■ The top 10 operators account for 30% of all public sector gyms, 39% of public sector members and 43% of public sector market value. ■ In the 12 months to 31 March 2025, the top 10 operators have seen a slight increase in their combined gym count, with a net gain of three sites (+0.4% vs 2024). ■ Collectively, these leading operators have added almost 100,000 members (+7.6%) and grown their combined market value by £88m (+15%). ■ GLL remains the UK’s largest public sector operator by number of gyms, with 191 locations (see interview, page 106). ■ SLM (Everyone Active) is in second place with 172 gyms (see interview, page 127), while Freedom Leisure ranks third, operating 95 sites. ■ Between them, these top three operators account for 18.5% of all public sector gyms in the UK.

50

43%

40

39%

Average fees per gym: Top 10 operators

Operator

Average fee

30

30%

£47.28

Fusion Lifestyle

£41.79 £40.91 £40.12 £38.32 £36.04 £35.57 £33.89

Freedom Leisure

GLL

20

Parkwood Leisure

Places Leisure

10

Serco Leisure

SLM (Everyone Active)

Halo Leisure

0

£29.06

YMCA

Gyms

Members

Market value

£26.45

High Life Highland

132 

133

STATE OF THE UK FITNESS INDUSTRY REPORT 2024

STATE OF THE UK FITNESS INDUSTRY REPORT 2025

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