Orangetheory Fitness has 'massive expectations' for growth in the UK and Europe and sees potential demand for up to 10,000 studios worldwide, says CEO, Dave Long, in the latest edition of HCM magazine.

“We have massive expectations for the development of Orangetheory Fitness in Europe and the UK,” he says. “I’m excited about international expansion, because that’s a decades-long project with so much we can do year after year. And I’m excited about the potential to impact more people through healthcare partnerships, by removing cost as a barrier to participation.”

Founded in 2010, Orangetheory Fitness grew to 1,000 locations by 2018 and currently has 1,540 locations across 23 countries. The lion’s share are in the US and Canada, but Long says expansion is ramping up.

There will be at least four more studios in London by the end of 2025 and 16 outside of the capital by the end of 2026. Spain is set to be the biggest growth market in Europe for 2024, with five more clubs planned this year.

“We’re eyeing two or three European cities to open flagships in 2024 or early 2025, with existing and potential new partners. For these sites, we might consider joint venturing, as they will drive brand visibility in Europe,” he says.

Slow to recover from the pandemic, Canada is now back on track, with eight to 10 locations planned and a key partner in Latin America is opening five to seven new this year.

“The other rapid growth market will be Japan," says Long. "They’ve really figured out the localisation of the model and have an extremely strong fan base. We won’t open lots of new studios there in 2024, but it will be a set-up year for really rapid growth from 2025. This is a market that could accommodate hundreds of units.”

The long-term goals is 10,000 units globally, at which point international markets will be three to five times the size of the US for the business. “It’s going to take a long time – a decade or more – but that’s the long-term goal,” says Long.

Long's interview coincides with the announcement of Orangetheory Fitness merging with Self Esteem Brands (SEB) to form a US$3.5 billion business, .

Speaking in HCM last year, Self Esteem Brands' CEO, Dave Mortensen, said the company also has plans for 10,000 units.

While the merger is ongoing each company will operate independently. The search for a new CEO is underway and when they're eventually appointed, Long and Mortensen – along with SEB co-founder, Chuck Runyon – will move to the board.