Carlyle provides financing package to Fitness Park

Paris, France, 15 May 2025 – Global investment firm Carlyle (NASDAQ: CG) today announced that its Global Credit platform has acted as sole lender in providing a financing package of €280 million to Fitness Park, the largest “Full Service Best Price” operator and franchisor of fitness clubs in France. The investment will be used to accelerate Fitness Park’s long-term growth, through M&A in France and internationally, and invest in its customer proposition. Fitness Park will continue to be majority owned by the company’s founders, alongside minority shareholders Future French Champions and Momentum Invest. 

Present in France for more than 40 years, Fitness Park has developed into a leading gym chain. Today, the group counts in France, Spain, Portugal and Morocco more than 350 clubs and 1.3 million members across both affiliate and franchised gyms. Fitness Park operates a proven “full service best price” model and has established a strong reputation through a customer offering underpinned by high-quality facilities and best-in-class fitness equipment, extended opening hours, and affordable and flexible membership options. The business is supported by strong market tailwinds, with increasing gym membership rates in France fueled by growing health consciousness and resilient demand for affordable and quality gyms. 

Otto Alaoui, Managing Director in Carlyle Global Credit, said: “We are delighted to support Fitness Park in strengthening and expanding on its leading position in fitness club services across France. The transaction demonstrates our ability to provide flexible capital solutions to accelerate the growth trajectory of founder-owned businesses in Europe.”

Gaëtan Dubuisson, Group CEO of Fitness Park, said: “Fitness Park is grateful for the support of Carlyle, which enables the business to continue to pursue its growth ambitions through its high-quality customer offering, and via strategic acquisitions. We strongly believe Carlyle’s expertise and capital will help us further capitalize on the fragmented French fitness market as we look to expand on our strong positioning.”

Carlyle’s Global Credit platform manages $199 billion in assets under management, as of March 31, 2025. It regularly pursues investments in privately negotiated capital solutions partnering with high-quality sponsors and leading family or entrepreneur-owned companies. The Fitness Park transaction follows an active last few months for Carlyle’s European credit platform, recently announcing investments including Suntera Global, Argon, Sanoptis, Your.World and Bianalisi.

--

About Carlyle

Carlyle (NASDAQ: CG) is a global investment firm with deep industry expertise that deploys private capital across its business and conducts its operations through three business segments: Global Private Equity, Global Credit, and Carlyle AlpInvest. With $453 billion of assets under management as of March 31, 2025, Carlyle’s purpose is to invest wisely and create value on behalf of its investors, portfolio companies, and the communities in which we live and invest. Carlyle employs more than 2,300 people in 29 offices across four continents. Further information is available at www.carlyle.com. Follow Carlyle on X @OneCarlyle and LinkedIn at The Carlyle Group.

About Fitness Park

Founded in 2009, Fitness Park is a next-generation fitness brand offering premium facilities at affordable prices. As the #1 fitness franchisor in Europe and recently named Brand of the Year 2025*, the company operates over 350 clubs in France and abroad, through both corporate-owned and franchised locations. With more than 350,000 m² of training space and over 1.3 million members, Fitness Park achieved a revenue of nearly €400 million in 2024. Learn more at: www.fitnesspark-group.com and follow Fitness Park on LinkedIn

* Independent study conducted by treetz/Cint at the end of 2024 with a representative sample of French consumers – poyfrance.com.

Media contacts:

Carlyle:

Charlie Bristow

Tel: +44 (0) 7384 513568