FitActive Eyes 100 More Gyms in Italy, Reaffirming Plans Revealed at ATN Summit

FitActive, Italy’s largest gym chain, is targeting 250 to 280 clubs in Italy, founder and CEO Eduardo Montefusco told Corriere della Sera, reaffirming a vision he previewed at the ATN Innovation Summit in June.

The low-price gym chain, with entry memberships starting under €20 ($22.9) a month for 24/7 access, has a presence across seven countries, including Spain and Brazil. It currently counts around 180 gyms, primarily in Italy.

Montefusco put aggregated network revenue at €150 million with an EBITDA margin near 20%, and said the franchise has ranked as Italy’s top gym operator for six to seven years.

At the summit, Montefusco appeared alongside Fitness World Canada CEO Chris Smith and Smart Fit Group founder Edgard Corona on a panel about international growth strategies.

There, he noted how much room there is in the Italian market and his “fitness should be for everyone” mantra.

Members at FitActive get access to personal trainers, unlimited group classes, massages, tanning, vibration platforms, a free postural checkup and body-mass analysis, unlimited energy drinks and Serenis, an online medical service connecting members with psychologists, psychotherapists and other specialists.

He also used the panel to weigh a possible move into the U.S., a path Fitness World Canada is already on. Smith announced at the summit that his company expects clubs open and operating stateside by year’s end, backed by a $50 million investment disclosed earlier this year.

International expansion is not cheap for FitActive.

Montefusco – who founded the company in 2006 – told Corriere della Sera that opening clubs outside Italy can cost three to four times as much as domestic openings, citing lower brand recognition abroad.

FitActive’s low-price model puts it in direct competition with McFit, the RSG Group-owned German chain that runs more than 230 company-owned clubs across Germany, Austria and Italy.

McFit is pursuing its own global growth push, announcing earlier this year that it would open the brand to franchisees for the first time, modeled on the franchising success of sister RSG brand Gold’s Gym.

Italy is drawing outside interest, too. In June, boutique giant Orangetheory Fitness announced its Italian debut, signing a franchise deal to open four studios in the greater Rome area with a new compact-footprint format and Technogym strength equipment.

The pull is real. Italy’s annual RiminiWellness expo drew record crowds this year in its 20th edition, with attendance up 15% and international participation up 25%.

Meanwhile, European fitness memberships hit 75.5 million by the end of 2025 as revenue climbed 9.1% to $44.5 billion, according to Deloitte and EuropeActive.