Press Release - February 2026

• The management of public sports facilities by private companies generated revenue of €750 million in 2025, up 8% on the previous year.

• In recent years, the degree of concentration of supply increased significantly. The rise in the number of concession contracts awarded and the acquisition of smaller companies enabled the leading groups to gain ground in the sector. The top ten now account for nearly 65% of the market.

• INFORMA's DBK Sectoral Observatory recently published these insights in the 'Sports Facilities Management' Special Basic Report.

Madrid, 25 February 2026.- According to INFORMA's (Cesce's subsidiary) DBK Sectoral Observatory—a leading provider of business, financial, sectoral, and marketing information in Spain and Portugal—the management of publicly owned sports centres by private companies generated revenue of around €750 million in 2025, an increase of about 8% on 2024, slightly below the figures close to 10% per year recorded in the previous two-year period.

The increase in sports participation, amid growing concern about health and physical fitness, largely explains this business dynamism. 

The increase in the number of public sports centres with privatised management, service diversification and improved facilities, with an offering increasingly similar to private centres, as well as their lower price, also boosted the market.

The business still showed marked fragmentation, dominated by small and medium-sized businesses, local or regional in scope, managing a small number of centres.

Nevertheless, there was a trend towards greater concentration of supply, which is expected to continue in the future. The leading groups are gaining ground via an increase in the number of concession contracts awarded and the acquisition of established companies. 

The top five operators now account for nearly half of sector turnover; the top ten hold a combined market share close to 65%.

Andalusia, Castile-La Mancha and Castile and León stood out as the regions with the highest total number of sports facilities. However, Catalonia and Madrid led in terms of the highest degree of privatisation of their management.

Strong demand will continue to drive revenue growth from the private management of public sports centres in the short to medium term. However, a moderate slowdown is expected, amid weakening overall economic activity and private consumption.

Data Synthesis