Is Planet Fitness profitable in 2026?

Yes. Planet Fitness reported Q1 2026 net income of $51.6 million on revenue of $337.2 million, up 21.9% year-over-year, with adjusted EBITDA of $139.9 million, as of March 31, 2026, per its own earnings release dated May 7, 2026.

Why did Planet Fitness stock crash in May 2026?

Planet Fitness stock fell approximately 31%, from $63.96 to $44.01, on May 7, 2026 after management cut full-year same-club sales guidance from 4-5% to about 1%, withdrew its three-year growth outlook, and paused a planned Black Card price increase.

Who are Planet Fitness's biggest competitors?

Same-tier budget rivals Crunch Fitness, EoS Fitness, and Anytime Fitness are undercutting Planet Fitness on price; management explicitly cited competitive pressure from these peers as a driver of its May 7, 2026 guidance cut and paused Black Card price hike.

Could AI replace Planet Fitness gyms?

Unlikely for its core product. AI coaching apps can erode the workout-guidance layer, but Planet Fitness's moat is physical space and equipment across 2,909 clubs (as of March 31, 2026). The company itself uses AI defensively for CRM and churn prediction, per CEO Colleen Keating, February 24, 2026.

Is Planet Fitness a safe company to invest in or join right now?

It faces near-term turbulence: a securities class action was filed (lead plaintiff deadline September 14, 2026) over a marketing misfire and guidance cut, plus CFO turnover in 2026. But the underlying business remains large and cash-generative, with $337.2 million Q1 2026 revenue.

Who owns Planet Fitness?

Planet Fitness, Inc. is a public company (NYSE: PLNT) with a market capitalization of approximately $4.23 billion as of July 26, 2026. About 90% of its roughly 2,909 clubs are independently franchisee-owned, per its Q1 2026 results dated May 7, 2026.

United States · United States

Planet Fitness

planetfitness.com ↗

Planet Fitness runs the biggest budget gym chain in the US, franchised, low-price, 21.5M members.

Defensible for now

Assessed 26 July 2026 · Evidence as of 26 July 2026

Real protection, with named pressure against it.

On the recordSince 26 July 2026 · Checkable from late July or early August 2026 · Every call on the record Checkpoint: Q2 2026 earnings report, first full quarter after the marketing reset and guidance cut

The call

The gym chain is profitable and growing in unit count, but a marketing misstep and price competition from same-tier rivals cut its own growth forecast and rattled investors.

Planet Fitness operates thousands of low-cost gym clubs that make money from membership fees and franchises. It is hard to copy because it owns many locations and has built a cheap, recognizable brand, but gyms like Crunch and Anytime Fitness offer similar deals at similar prices, so members can easily switch. The big question is whether Planet Fitness can raise prices again after its recent stumble and marketing mistake, or whether budget gyms have become so alike that they cannot charge more without losing customers.

Why

AI pressure: None apparent. AI apps and home fitness tech don't replace a $15 physical gym membership habit; no AI product targets this market. Could AI do the core job? Unlikely.

Bigger players: Crunch Fitness, EōS Fitness, Anytime Fitness. Rival budget chains undercut on price with similar $29 Black Card style tiers, pushing Planet Fitness to pause its own price increase. Could a giant copy it? Probably.

What protects it. 90% of clubs are franchisee owned, giving steady royalty and equipment revenue even when same club sales slow.

What would change this call

Planet Fitness resumes or continues pausing the Black Card price increase to $29.99/month by mid-2027. Shows whether pricing power is intact or eroded by peer discounting.
Q2 2026 and Q3 2026 same-club sales and net member growth figures. Indicates whether the May 2026 guidance cut was a temporary stumble or ongoing share loss.
Whether 2026 unit growth stays near the 180-190 new club guidance. Shows if franchisees remain confident despite pricing and marketing setbacks.

Key numbers

21.5M members, 2,909 clubs (2026-03-31)
Same-club sales guidance cut from 4-5% to ~1% (2026-05-07)
Stock fell 31%, $63.96 to $44.01 (2026-05-07)

Named risks

Pending securities class action over marketing and pricing disclosures, lead plaintiff deadline Sept 14, 2026. Severity: high
2026 same-club sales guidance slashed from 4-5% to ~1%, signaling demand softness. Severity: high
Marketing campaign alienated core beginner members, forcing brand reset. Severity: medium
Black Card price increase paused indefinitely pending pricing review. Severity: medium
CFO turnover in 2026 (Stasz out, interim, then new permanent CFO) adds execution uncertainty. Severity: medium

Rivals, as read in July 2026

Rival	Direction	Evidence
Crunch Fitness	contesting	Management cited peer undercutting on price as factor in May 7, 2026 guidance cut
EoS Fitness	gaining on	Acquired Gold's Gym Southern California locations in buyout, October 2025
Anytime Fitness	contesting	24/7 keyfob access model competes directly in budget-gym tier as of April 2026

Questions people ask

Is Planet Fitness profitable in 2026?: Yes. Planet Fitness reported Q1 2026 net income of $51.6 million on revenue of $337.2 million, up 21.9% year-over-year, with adjusted EBITDA of $139.9 million, as of March 31, 2026, per its own earnings release dated May 7, 2026.
Why did Planet Fitness stock crash in May 2026?: Planet Fitness stock fell approximately 31%, from $63.96 to $44.01, on May 7, 2026 after management cut full-year same-club sales guidance from 4-5% to about 1%, withdrew its three-year growth outlook, and paused a planned Black Card price increase.
Who are Planet Fitness's biggest competitors?: Same-tier budget rivals Crunch Fitness, EoS Fitness, and Anytime Fitness are undercutting Planet Fitness on price; management explicitly cited competitive pressure from these peers as a driver of its May 7, 2026 guidance cut and paused Black Card price hike.
Could AI replace Planet Fitness gyms?: Unlikely for its core product. AI coaching apps can erode the workout-guidance layer, but Planet Fitness's moat is physical space and equipment across 2,909 clubs (as of March 31, 2026). The company itself uses AI defensively for CRM and churn prediction, per CEO Colleen Keating, February 24, 2026.
Is Planet Fitness a safe company to invest in or join right now?: It faces near-term turbulence: a securities class action was filed (lead plaintiff deadline September 14, 2026) over a marketing misfire and guidance cut, plus CFO turnover in 2026. But the underlying business remains large and cash-generative, with $337.2 million Q1 2026 revenue.
Who owns Planet Fitness?: Planet Fitness, Inc. is a public company (NYSE: PLNT) with a market capitalization of approximately $4.23 billion as of July 26, 2026. About 90% of its roughly 2,909 clubs are independently franchisee-owned, per its Q1 2026 results dated May 7, 2026.

Timeline

2026-07-20Franchise Equity Partners acquires Bravo Fit, Planet Fitness's Australian franchisee; PF exits minority stake
2026-06-24Sudhanshu Priyadarshi appointed permanent CFO and President, International
2026-05-07Q1 2026 results beat, but guidance cut sharply and stock falls ~31% to $44.01
2026-05-07Company pauses Black Card price increase to $29.99 and withdraws 3-year growth algorithm
2026-03CFO Jay Stasz departs; Tom Fitzgerald returns as interim CFO
2026-02-24CEO details AI-enabled CRM, churn modeling, and Ro GLP-1 partnership
2026-01-12FY2025 year-end metrics released: 20.8M members, +6.7% same-club sales
2025-11-06Black Card price increase to $29.99/month announced

Revision history

26 July 2026

First assessed. Defensible for now. The text above is fixed as of this date and is not edited afterwards.

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