British fitness equipment manufacturer Pulse Fitness has announced its official entry into the U.S. commercial fitness equipment market, appointing Jamie Burton as President of U.S. and Global Development to lead a core team that includes Chief Revenue Officer Mike Kelly, Sales Director Andrew Graham, and Vice President of Operations Ed Kurzontkowski. Pulse Fitness differentiates itself through “inclusive fitness,” offering equipment designed to accommodate people with varying levels of mobility, including low-impact treadmills, ellipticals, upright/recumbent exercise bikes, and adjustable step platforms. The brand has already installed equipment at venues such as Third Space Wimbledon, a high-end fitness club in London, and…

The first day of the Athletech News Innovation Summit 2026 was held in New York, covering 16 topics including investment, recovery science, strength-training innovation, and the commercialization of longevity. Key signals: ① Investment trends — Pilates and HVLP gyms are the most favored by capital; 2025 is a catalyst year for major brand deals (multi-billion-dollar Crunch/EoS transactions), 2026 is expected to be a period of “slight reset,” and deal flow is projected to recover in 2027; ② The Recovery 2.0 era — the field is moving from single-method approaches (such as cold-water baths) to a personalized, data-driven stage; ③ Peloton…

Australian functional training franchise brand Fitstop has signed a multi-location agreement in Houston, Texas, entering its third U.S. state after California and Pennsylvania, with Austin and San Antonio to follow. Fitstop has more than 170 locations worldwide (Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, and the U.S.) and is known for team-based strength training—2-4 person groups supporting one another, with structured strength training programs as its core offering. Founder and CEO Pete Hull (a former professional motocross rider) said the U.S. market is shifting from “passive wellness” to “structured, results-driven training.” Next month, Fitstop will hold its Global Games event in Los Angeles.

Former Planet Fitness long-time CEO Chris Rondeau has officially invested in Absolute Recomp (AR) and joined as a partner, board member, and chief growth officer. AR was founded by 28-year-old Nabil Saeed in Dallas-Fort Worth and is positioned as a “pure-strength premium gym” built specifically for experienced lifters. It currently has 5 locations, with each gym ranging from 35,000 to 65,000 square feet, and is fully equipped with top-tier strength machines from Watson, Arsenal, Panatta, Rogers, New Tech, and others, including 120 leg machines and 30 glute/hip machines. Membership fees are $65–80 per month, and female membership has grown from…

EoS Fitness has piloted Reformer Pilates classes at three of its locations in Las Vegas, Tempe, Arizona, and Houston, targeting its mid-tier membership level priced at $24.99–$29.99 per month, with plans to expand the rollout in 2027. The classes include three proprietary formats (Re:Fine classic / Re:Mix off-equipment strength / Re:Build athletic performance) plus Les Mills Reformer classes. Backed by TSG Consumer Partners, EoS Fitness has more than 2 million members, making it the fourth chain brand after Crunch Fitness, Vasa Fitness, and Planet Fitness (Australia pilot) to bring Reformer Pilates into HVLP big-box gyms.

ASICS announced the establishment of the ASICS Institute of Sports Science Europe (ISS Europe) in the Netherlands, marking its second overseas R&D base following ISS America, which will open at the end of 2025. At the same time, it announced a strategic partnership with the French sports research center HumanFab, initially focusing on tennis performance. HumanFab has an advanced indoor tennis-court laboratory that can conduct full-scale sports analysis on a regulation-size court, accurately capturing key data such as ball speed and spin. ASICS President and COO Mitsuyuki Tominaga said that Europe is a key growth market for ASICS and also…

June 17, 2026, American sportswear company Under Armour has confirmed plans to close its Portland corporate office and relocate key functions, including parts of its footwear development operations, to Baltimore and other locations such as New York. The company described the move as part of a broader organizational restructuring aimed at improving collaboration and aligning teams more closely with its headquarters. While the Portland office will be closed in its current form, Under Armour stated that it will continue to maintain a presence in the city and retain some innovation-related activities there.

PARIS, FRANCE – June 18, 2026 — Kinomap, the leading interactive indoor training platform, today announced a strategic global partnership with world-renowned group fitness brand Les Mills. Starting September 2026, the collaboration will introduce a unique bundled subscription plan, creating a comprehensive fitness ecosystem within a single solution. Through this new offering, users can subscribe to both platforms directly via Kinomap at a highly competitive price point. The bundle seamlessly merges Kinomap’s immersive, real-world geolocated video routes for cycling, running, and rowing with Les Mills’ globally recognized non-cardio programs, including strength training, HIIT, and yoga. Leadership Perspectives "By combining Kinomap’s…

On June 15, Pon.Bike, one of the world's largest bicycle manufacturers, announced that it will close its Cannondale European assembly plant in Almelo, Netherlands, by the end of 2027. This move is part of the group's new "multi-brand integrated production" strategy. Production capacity will gradually transition to existing European hubs in Germany and Lithuania. The company emphasized that this relocation will not disrupt bike deliveries to dealers or consumers. The facility currently employs approximately 120 staff members and specializes in single-brand assembly for Cannondale. Because the plant cannot accommodate the group's future vision for "one-stop" multi-brand production, Pon.Bike decided on…

Global group exercise specialist, Les Mills, is inviting operators to sign up to its Workout for the World event on 20 June, in support of UNICEF. Les Mills has already raised more than US$2 million for the charity which helps children in areas impacted by wars or sudden natural disasters, providing clean water, medicine, nutrition, and psychological support.

Fishing gear manufacturer Evolution Outdoor has hired Steve Self as vice president of sales. Most recently, he served as vice president of sales for St. Croix Rods.  Throughout his over 40-year career, Self has also held key sales leadership positions at Maurice Sporting Goods and Zebco, including serving as national sales manager.  In his new role, Self will work closely with the Evolution Outdoor leadership team, with primary responsibilities focused on Buying Groups, Distributor relationships, and continued growth of the company’s international business. 

American professional outdoor gear retailer Outdoors, Inc., a local landmark with 52 years of history, announced in May 2026 that it would cease operations and held a closing clearance sale at its last store on Poplar Ave in Memphis and online. Founded in 1974 by Joe Royer and Lawrence Migliara, Outdoors, Inc. had four locations as recently as 2019, according to its website. The retailer offers hiking, camping, paddling, climbing, cycling, and skiing gear and is known for organizing and sponsoring major community sporting events, including the Outdoors, Inc. Canoe and Kayak Race on the Mississippi River and the Cyclocross…