As fitness takes center stage in January amidst a flood of new year’s resolutions, the sponsorship landscape in Fitness Facilities and Connected Fitness is notably vibrant, with more than 940 brands buying sponsorships or media deals in these categories. 

Social media looms large—43% of these partnerships leverage digital platforms—underscoring both the importance of online engagement in an era when fitness experiences are increasingly digitalized, and how brands are adapting to evolving consumer preferences in both traditional and technology-driven fitness sectors.

Within the Connected Fitness category, brands like Peloton—which has nearly 200 sponsorship or media deals—Wahoo Fitness, WHOOP, and Zwift lead the way by number of partnerships. One that has yet to crack the top of the list but is an innovative brand to watch is the popular fitness app Strava, which has demonstrated its knack for forming impactful partnerships by launching a series of in-app activity challenges this month with a wide range of brands like Le Col, Smartwool, HelloFresh, Brooks, Whoop, and Factor. 

These link-ups are a strategic win for the partner brands, driving their visibility among Strava's active and health-conscious user base. With their focus on athletic apparel, Le Col and Brooks find an ideal audience in Strava's fitness enthusiasts, while nutrition-focused brands like HelloFresh and Factor benefit from exposure and engagement with a community that values healthy lifestyle choices. 

In the traditional realm of fitness facilities, brands are constantly finding new ways to engage fans at events. Planet Fitness dominates this category with over 90 sponsorships, more than double the second-place Goodlife Fitness. With seven sponsorship deals across Major League Baseball, Planet Fitness captures the attention of Houston Astros and Cleveland Guardians fans with its “Flex Cam,” which shows them flexing their biceps on the big screen. As part of its partnership with the Detroit Tigers, the brand sponsors the “Sing Along,” where attending fans can vote for a song to belt out at the stadium.