Corporate Wellness Transforms Fitness Industry: 73% of Operators Report Increased Profitability

New Wellhub Corporate Wellness Report 2025, Based on Independent Survey Also Reveals That 89% of Wellness Businesses Secure Higher Member Retention as Corporate Partnerships Become an Essential Growth Channel

NEW YORK, September 10, 2025   — A new chapter is emerging in the wellness industry: corporate wellness partnerships are becoming a breakout growth engine for operators worldwide. The Corporate Wellness Report 2025 is the first-ever global study examining how these partnerships specifically drive growth for gyms, studios, and wellness apps, and found that they outperform traditional models on metrics including member retention and lifetime value and higher confidence for expansion.
 

A New Growth Engine for the Wellness Industry
The wellness industry has traditionally relied on individual memberships and breakage models, often requiring operators to continuously spend heavily to retain and acquire members. Consumer aggregators then entered the market with volume-focused strategies that often prioritized price competition over sustainable alliances, creating challenges for operators seeking predictable revenue. 

The emergence of corporate wellness platforms was a pivotal shift, providing access to the corporate market and millions of employees at scale. This approach builds sustainable, long-term partnerships that empower gyms and wellness businesses with a predictable, incremental revenue stream.

Today, demographic shifts are driving major change. By 2034, Millennials and Gen Z will comprise 80%of the workforce, and these employees expect holistic wellness plans to be offered by their employers—83%believe their wellbeing is just as important as their salary. Employers are responding and gyms, studios and other holistic wellness companies who recognize this now will define their competitive edge, amplify their reach and secure their future growth. 

Corporate Wellness Partnerships Pay Off for Fitness and Wellness Operators
Wellhub's survey of more than 600 wellness operators partnering with various consumer and corporate wellness platforms across 10 countries reveals corporate partnerships are outperforming traditional growth channels:

• 89% report higher member retention for members acquired through corporate wellness partnerships
• 84% find these alliances effective for acquiring new members
• 83% report corporate wellness is critical or very important to their growth
• 73% report increased profitability, with 20% seeing significant improvements

The top financial benefits reported by wellness providers are:

• Maximized Capacity: Guaranteed utilization from corporate partnership helps fill off-peak times and optimizes usage, reducing downtime and lowering per-member overhead costs.
• Higher Lifetime Value: corporate-sourced members not only stay longer but are also more likely to upgrade plans, translating into more monthly revenue per corporate member.
• Improved Cash Flow: Predictable revenue streams from long-term corporate agreements create financial stability, enabling operators to manage seasonal fluctuations and plan for growth with confidence.

"The corporate wellness industry is transforming, offering unprecedented opportunities for fitness and wellness operators, from big box gyms and full-service health clubs to boutique studios and digital apps,” said Daniel Mazini, EVP Partnerships & New Ventures at Wellhub. 

"Our research confirms corporate partnerships are vital for this transformation, a growth engine helping businesses maximize capacity and secure their financial future. Wellhub found that 73% of wellness providers report increased profitability, and 89% see higher member retention through corporate wellness.  This highlights the immense impact well-structured platforms can have, empowering operators to tap new revenue streams and connect with engaged members seeking wellness solutions through employers."
 

Corporate Wellness Fueling Industry Expansion
The steady income from corporate contracts is driving expansion confidence:

• 83% plan to open new physical locations next year
• 69% intend to expand internationally
• 66% will invest over $25,000 in new equipment upgrades
• 28% plan equipment investments exceeding $50,000

This expansion comes as the global corporate wellness market is projected to growfrom $70.4 billion in 2024 to over $106 billion by 2029, significantly outpacing many other wellness segments.

Industry Leaders See Corporate Wellness as Critical
For leading fitness brands, corporate wellness is no longer a side program—it’s a serious growth engine. Operators are tapping into entirely new audiences through employer partnerships, especially when paired with platforms that help them scale across geographies.

"Partnering with Wellhub has been fantastic for Les Mills since 2022. They consistently contribute around 20% to our annual subscriber growth. Their team is incredibly collaborative and easy to work with. If your goal is to extend your reach into the corporate benefits space, Wellhub offers unmatched access. No other partner provides this level of depth and reach—and their audience keeps expanding. Choosing Wellhub is one of the best decisions you'll make to accelerate your customer growth through the employee wellbeing channel."
 — Merideth Harrington | Global Director, Digital Partnership Growth, Les Mills

"Working with Wellhub has been exceptional—there’s truly no better partner for B2B opportunities in the wellness space. Accessing their vast and growing audience for lead generation and incremental revenue has been transformative for us. It’s a genuine win-win partnership: Wellhub members benefit from some of the industry's best boutique fitness experiences, and our franchise owners gain valuable studio visits and memberships. We're proud to partner with Wellhub, excited about our ongoing collaboration, and look forward to continuing this growth together."
 — Steve Pankowski | Executive Vice President, Strategic Partnerships, Xponential Fitness

As more employers prioritize wellbeing and more operators embrace corporate models, the fitness industry is entering a new era—one where long-term health, revenue stability, and member loyalty are built into the business model from day one.

Download the full report now at https://wellhub.com/en-us/lp/corporate-wellness-report-2025/
 

Methodology
Wellhub surveyed over 600 owners and senior leaders of gyms, studios, and wellness apps in 10 countries to understand how their partnerships with various consumer and corporate wellness platforms influence membership acquisition, retention, and financial performance. The online survey was conducted via QuestionPro between January 19 and February 19, 2025, targeting leaders currently engaged in active corporate wellness partnerships. Responses were collected evenly across the United States, the United Kingdom, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Romania, Spain, Italy, Germany, and Mexico, with approximately 60 respondents per country.

About Wellhub
Wellhub is a corporate wellness platform that connects employees to the best partners for fitness, mindfulness, therapy, nutrition, and sleep, all included in one subscription designed to cost less than each individual partner. More than 26,000 companies in 13 countries use Wellhub to give their millions of employees access to best-in-class corporate wellbeing programs that are proven to drive widespread employee adoption and engagement. With Wellhub, employees can check-in with their wellbeing every day. The result is better productivity, higher retention, and lower healthcare costs. This is the Wellhub Effect. Become a wellness company today.