Pilates Addiction's 200-Territory Launch & Franchise Shift

Key Takeaways

• Pilates Addiction has sold over 200 territories across the U.S. since launching its franchise program in June 2025, representing one of the fastest franchise rollouts in Pilates history and signaling a shift from consolidation to rapid territorial expansion.
• JETSET Pilates reported a 2025 systemwide average unit volume of approximately $1.13 million while opening 24 studios last year, bringing its total footprint to over 270 studios open or in development as the brand positions itself as a high-performing alternative to legacy franchises.
• Xponential Fitness closed 140 total units in 2025 despite opening 341 new locations, while agreeing to pay nearly $40 million in FTC and franchisee settlements, exposing vulnerabilities in the dominant player's growth model.
• New Pilates franchises are differentiating on teaching methodology rather than scale alone, with brands like Bodybar positioning between classical and athletic styles, Strong Pilates blending reformer with cardio and strength, and JETSET emphasizing disciplined market selection over footprint size.
• The global Pilates and yoga studio market is projected to reach $521 billion by 2035, up from $120 billion today at a 14.3% compound annual growth rate, fueling investor confidence in emerging franchise groups even as legacy players stumble.
• Instructor demand is rising across all channels as Pilates expands into large fitness chains, boutique studios, and medical facilities, creating career opportunities but requiring instructors to evaluate franchise brand sustainability and teaching model alignment.

How Pilates Addiction and JETSET Are Rewriting Franchise Growth Playbooks

Pilates Addiction, part of Anthony Geisler's Sequel Brands portfolio, has sold over 200 territories since launching its franchise program in June 2025, a pace that outstrips most boutique fitness concepts in their first year. The brand plans to have more than 100 studios open by the end of 2026, according to Athletech News reporting in December 2025.

Meanwhile, JETSET Pilates closed 2025 with 24 new studio openings, bringing its total to over 270 studios open or in development. The brand reported a 2025 systemwide average unit volume of approximately $1.13 million, per an International Franchise Association release in January 2026. JETSET's franchising chief strategy officer Natalie Straub emphasized a counter-narrative to pure territory sales: "As we scale, we're staying disciplined: opening strong studios in great markets, deepening support for our owners and doubling down on a best-in-class member experience."

Why Xponential's 140 Net Closures Signal a Market Inflection Point

Xponential Fitness, the parent company of Club Pilates and the largest player in boutique Pilates franchising, closed 140 total units in 2025 even as it opened 341 new locations, according to Franchise Times reporting in March 2026. Closures accelerated in the fourth quarter with 47 locations shuttered. CEO Anthony Geisler pointed to "marketing and lead management missteps" affecting membership growth and same-store sales pressure.

The same month, Xponential agreed to pay nearly $40 million in settlements to the Federal Trade Commission and more than 500 current and former franchisees. Under the proposed FTC consent agreement and without admitting liability, Xponential will pay $17 million over 12 months. The dual pressures of unit closures and regulatory settlements have created an opening for smaller, nimbler competitors to position themselves as safer bets for prospective franchisees and more attractive employers for instructors seeking brand stability.

How New Entrants Are Competing on Teaching Model, Not Just Territory Count

Emerging Pilates franchises are differentiating through pedagogical positioning rather than footprint size alone. Bodybar Pilates CEO Matt McCollum described his brand as "a middle-ground option between the classical style of the modality offered by brands like Club Pilates and the more hardcore, athletic style driven by Lagree studios and concepts like Solidcore," per Athletech News.

Strong Pilates, an Australia-born concept founded by fitness entrepreneurs Michael Ramsey and Mark Armstrong, blends traditional reformer Pilates with cardio and strength training elements. The brand plans to open 150-plus studios across the U.S., including a mix of franchise and corporate-owned locations, according to the same December 2025 Athletech News analysis. This methodological variation mirrors a broader trend in which franchisors compete on teaching identity rather than replicating the classical-reformer template that Club Pilates scaled.

Where Investor Capital Is Flowing Despite Market Turbulence

Despite Xponential's struggles, investors continue to fund large Club Pilates franchise groups to fuel expansion. Eagle Merchant Partners took a stake in Aligned Fitness to expand across the Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic U.S., while Riser Fitness, a franchisee group led by former Club Pilates president Mike Gray, received $72 million from Fortress Investment Group, per Athletech News.

This capital deployment reflects confidence in Pilates as a category even as individual brands face volatility. The global Pilates and yoga studio market is projected to reach $521 billion by 2035, up from $120 billion today, growing at a 14.3% compound annual growth rate. Demand for Pilates instruction is rising across boutique studios, large fitness chains, and medical facilities, creating sustained instructor demand even as franchise shakeouts unfold.

What Territory Saturation Means for Instructor Employment and Studio Viability

The rapid sale of franchise territories raises questions about market saturation and instructor quality. Pilates Addiction's 200-territory sale in under a year, combined with JETSET's 270-studio pipeline and Strong Pilates' 150-studio plan, could flood metro markets with overlapping locations. For instructors, this creates short-term hiring opportunities but long-term risk if studios open in under-supported territories or with insufficient capital reserves to weather the first 18 months.

Studio operators evaluating franchise opportunities face a calculus between brand recognition and operational support. Xponential's FTC settlement and net closures suggest that sheer scale does not guarantee franchisee success. Conversely, newer brands with leaner infrastructure may offer better unit economics but lack the brand recognition that drives initial membership sign-ups. Instructors considering employment with franchised studios should evaluate franchisor disclosure documents, territory exclusivity clauses, and the brand's instructor training standards beyond marketing claims.

What This Means for Studio Operators

Editorial analysis, not reported fact:

The reshuffling of Pilates franchising from consolidation under Xponential to fragmentation across multiple fast-growth brands creates distinct strategic windows for studio operators. Independent studio owners now compete not just against Club Pilates but against three or four emerging brands per metro market, each claiming a differentiated teaching angle. The winning response is not to mimic franchise teaching models but to double down on what independents do best: instructor continuity, community depth, and programming flexibility that franchise operations manuals cannot replicate.

For prospective franchisees, the headline numbers around territory sales and average unit volumes matter less than franchisor operational transparency. Xponential's regulatory troubles underscore the importance of reviewing Item 19 financial performance representations in franchise disclosure documents, understanding territory exclusivity boundaries, and stress-testing revenue projections against local competitive density. A $1.13 million average unit volume means little if your territory sits within three miles of two other reformer concepts and a Lagree studio.

Instructors face a parallel calculus: more studio openings mean more job postings, but rapid franchise expansion often correlates with compressed onboarding timelines and inconsistent teaching standards. Prioritize employers who invest in continuing education credits, mentorship structures, and clear pathways from instructor to lead teacher or program director. The brands that survive the next 24 months will be those that recognize Pilates instruction as a skilled profession requiring ongoing development, not an interchangeable labor input.

Sources & Further Reading

• Athletech News: Can Pilates Franchising Boom Continue? (December 2025) — Analysis of emerging Pilates franchise brands including Pilates Addiction, Strong Pilates, and Bodybar, plus investor activity in Club Pilates franchise groups.
• Franchise Times: Xponential Fitness Agrees to Pay Millions in FTC, Franchisee Settlements (March 18, 2026) — Details of Xponential's $40 million settlement and 140 net unit closures in 2025.
• PRNewswire: JETSET Pilates Surpasses 350 Territories Sold and 60 Studios Open (April 2026) — Company release on studio footprint and territory sales.
• International Franchise Association: JETSET Pilates Marks Milestone 2025 with 24 Studio Openings (January 23, 2026) — Systemwide average unit volume data and growth strategy from JETSET leadership.
• Business Research Insights: Pilates and Yoga Studios Market Report — Global market size projection through 2035 and compound annual growth rate.

Editorial coverage of publicly reported industry developments. The Pilates Business has no commercial relationship with any companies named.