The global eFitness industry surged in 2020, with millions of people using online workout courses and sports apps amid the COVID-19 lockdown. As one of the largest eFitness markets globally, China has also witnessed the increasing popularity of home fitness this year.
According to data presented by Safe Betting Sites, the three most popular sports apps in China hit 25.9 million monthly active users as of October. With 13.1 million active users or more than half of that figure, Keep represents China’s leading sports app.
Number of Sports Apps Users Almost Doubled in Q1 2020
The eFitness industry in China has thrived in 2020, driven by the increasing number of Chinese pursuing a healthy and active lifestyle even amid the COVID-19 outbreak. The QuestMobile data revealed that as of February, the number of monthly active users of sports and fitness apps hit almost 90 million, a 93% jump compared to the same month a year ago.
The BigData Research showed around 64% of Chinese used these apps at least once a week. About 13% of respondents stated they used them two to three times a week, and another 3% used them four times or more.
Statistics show that the fitness program app, Keep, represents the most popular sports app in China with 13.1 million monthly active users, double that any other app in the category. The app built its success on the combination of Instagram-style social media and e-commerce functions. Besides sports enthusiasts, companies and brands also benefit from Keep by promoting their sales in the app’s own sports store and creating social campaigns in the community space.
With almost 6.5 million monthly active users, Codoon ranked as the second most-popular sports apps in China. Mi Fit, Yodo Run, and Ledongli follow with 6.3 million, 5.6 million, and 2.6 million users, respectively.
The Number of Fitness App Users in China to hit 345M in 2021, a 30% Jump in Two Years
Statista data show the entire fitness apps sector in China has witnessed impressive growth this year, both in terms of revenue and the number of users.
In 2017, the revenue of the entire Chinese fitness apps market amounted to $372 million. This figure rose by 15% in the next two years, reaching $431 million in 2019.
Statistics show that 2020 witnessed a strong rising trend, with revenues in the Chinese fitness app increasing by almost 30% to $555 million. In the next four years, this figure is expected to hit $734 million.
Statista data also revealed the number of Chinese using sports and fitness apps surged by 24% YoY amid the COVID-10 pandemic, growing from 268.4 million in 2019 to 332.6 million in 2020. Statistics show this figure is set to rise to 345 million in 2021, a 30% Jump in two years.
