Anytime Fitness Franchise: Join the World's Largest 24/7 Gym Network

The fitness sector continues to thrive as more people prioritise health, convenience and flexible workout options. For investors looking to enter this growing industry, the Anytime Fitness Franchise offers a globally recognised brand, a proven 24/7 business model and a structured support system designed to help franchisees succeed. With a presence on every continent and a strong domestic footprint, Anytime Fitness has positioned itself as the clear market leader in the convenience gym sector.

Founded in 2002 by Chuck Runyon and Dave Mortensen, Anytime Fitness opened its first club in Cambridge, Minnesota with a simple goal: deliver a smaller, friendlier neighbourhood gym that fits around members' lives rather than the other way around. That vision quickly resonated, and the brand has grown to become the largest fitness franchise on the planet, with over 5,000 clubs and more than 4 million members worldwide. In the UK, Anytime Fitness now operates over 188 clubs with more than 200,000 members, recording over 1 million club visits each month, and has set a target of 500 UK clubs by 2030.

Anytime Fitness - 24/7 access, modern equipment and a welcoming community feel

How the Anytime Fitness Franchise Works

Anytime Fitness operates a membership-based model centred around 24-hour keycard access, mid-tier pricing and a welcoming community feel. Clubs are typically around 6,000 square feet and located in high-footfall areas including retail parks, town centres and high streets. Recent changes to the Use Classes Order have made it easier than ever to convert former retail units into fitness facilities, opening up new prime locations for franchisees.

Three Routes to Ownership

Investment and Costs

Revenue & Profitability

A Booming Industry

Training and Support

New franchisees attend a comprehensive multi-day training programme at the support office, with eight compulsory modules covering commercial planning, property, presales, sales, recruitment and operational best practice. Each new franchisee is paired with a Franchise Performance Coach who guides them through pre-opening, launch and beyond.

• ✓ Eight-module New Franchisee Induction Training - face-to-face and virtual
• ✓ Dedicated Franchise Performance Coach from pre-opening through to trading
• ✓ Over 1,000 online courses via the eLearning portal for owners and staff
• ✓ Dashboard system for resources, reporting and operational updates
• ✓ 30+ in-house experts for property, marketing, sales and operations
• ✓ Annual conference with workshops, company updates and awards
• ✓ No prior fitness industry experience required

What Franchisees Say

Others have moved into the brand from other franchise sectors specifically to benefit from healthier margins and the recurring revenue stream that gym memberships provide. The supportive network and scalable model are consistently highlighted as key strengths.

Who Is the Franchise For?

This opportunity is best suited to motivated entrepreneurs who are passionate about health, community and building a long-term business. While hands-on experience in fitness is not required, a willingness to engage with members, lead a small team and follow a proven system is essential. With the brand's continued investment in technology, location intelligence and member experience, franchisees joining today are stepping into a network that is actively evolving and growing.

Key Benefits at a Glance

• ✓ World's #1 fitness franchise - 5,000+ clubs in every continent
• ✓ 188+ UK clubs with 200,000+ members and 1m+ visits per month
• ✓ 24/7 keycard access with lean staffing and high margins
• ✓ 60% of franchisees operate multiple clubs
• ✓ Average revenue ~£385,000 per club per year
• ✓ Up to 70% bank funding via Barclays, NatWest, Lloyds
• ✓ Three entry routes: new build, resale or rebrand
• ✓ Target: 500 UK clubs by 2030

To find out the full investment breakdown, available territories and current incentives, get in touch with the Anytime Fitness Franchise team directly through Franchise Hunt.

Interested in exploring more opportunities in this sector? Take a look at other Fitness franchise opportunities available on Franchise Hunt.

UK Fitness Industry Context

The wider fitness sector provides a strong tailwind for new Anytime Fitness owners. According to ukactive's UK Health and Fitness Market Report, UK gym membership reached 11.5 million people in 2024, the market penetration rate climbed to 16.9% and total sector revenue grew by 8.8% to roughly 5.7 billion pounds. The number of UK health and fitness clubs sits above 5,600, with more than 600 million individual visits recorded across the year.

Convenience-led 24/7 operators have been one of the standout categories within that growth, taking share as members move away from rigid opening hours and long contracts. Anytime Fitness, as the largest single brand in the convenience tier, is positioned to capture a meaningful slice of the next wave of demand.

A Day in the Life of a Club Owner

An Anytime Fitness club typically runs as a lean management franchise rather than a personality-driven independent gym. Staffed hours usually cover the morning and early evening peaks, when sales conversations, tours and personal training sit at the centre of activity. Outside staffed hours, members continue training using their keycards, with the brand's central tech stack handling access control, billing and incident response.

A typical owner's week balances three threads: reviewing the previous week's sales and retention dashboard with their Franchise Performance Coach, working alongside the in-club manager on lead follow-up and member journeys, and getting out into the local community to drive corporate, school and partnership leads. Multi-club operators delegate more of the in-club operations and focus on portfolio-level marketing, recruitment and the search for additional sites.

Marketing and Member Acquisition

The brand's central support office runs national digital campaigns, paid social and SEO that drive enquiries straight into the local club's CRM. Franchisees can layer in their own community activity, from launch events and corporate wellness tie-ins to local PR and outdoor advertising in their catchment.

The Anytime Fitness app, member-referral mechanics and access to wellness platforms such as Gympass help fill the club outside peak hours and broaden the addressable membership pool beyond traditional gym-goers.