Australia
AU ANZSIC R9112 | Industry Report

Sports and Physical Recreation Clubs in Australia Industry Data and Analysis

IY
Ivan Yam
Analyst Melbourne, Australia May 2026

Sports and physical recreation clubs have shown considerable resilience, bouncing back remarkably from the COVID-19 pandemic – indicative of Australia’s passion for sports. Before the pandemic hit, clubs were steadily expanding. However, prolonger state and national lockdowns dealt a blow to many clubs. Some professional clubs stayed active during the lockdowns, but still lost key income sources, resulting in a significant drop in profitability. Nonetheless, clubs quickly recovered after restrictions lifted; a result of accumulated demand and unwavering allegiance from both participants and spectators. When crowds returned to live sports events, the industry’s profit margins recovered too. An influx of new sporting leagues and renewed demand have allowed clubs to charge more for membership fees. Despite this, industry revenue is expected to slump at an annualised 0.4% over the five years through 2025-26, to $3.5 billion. Revenue is anticipated to dip 1.4% in 2025-26 alone, as disposable incomes weaken.

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What's included in this industry analysis

IBISWorld's research coverage on the Sports and Physical Recreation Clubs industry in Australia includes market sizing, forecasting, data and analysis from 2016-2031. The most recent publication was released May 2026.

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About this industry

What's this industry report about?

The Sports and Physical Recreation Clubs industry in Australia operates under the ANZSIC industry code R9112. Industry firms primarily operate sports and physical recreation clubs or teams that provide sporting or physical recreation opportunities to participants, or entertainment for spectators. The industry also includes professional athletes. Related terms covered in the Sports and Physical Recreation Clubs industry in Australia include australian football league (afl), national rugby league (nrl), national basketball league (nbl), big bash league (bbl), a-league and grassroots.

What's included in this industry?

Products and services covered in Sports and Physical Recreation Clubs industry in Australia include Professional sports club operation, Individual professional athletes and Amateur sports club operation.

What companies are included in this industry?

Companies covered in the Sports and Physical Recreation Clubs industry in Australia include Richmond Football Club, West Australian Football Commission Inc. and Collingwood Football Club.

Performance

What's included in the Performance chapter?

The Performance chapter covers detailed analysis, datasets, detailed current performance, sources of volatility and an outlook with forecasts for the Sports and Physical Recreation Clubs industry in Australia.

Questions answered in this chapter include what's driving current industry performance, what influences industry volatility, how do successful businesses overcome volatility, what's driving the industry outlook. This analysis is supported with data and statistics on industry revenues, costs, profits, businesses and employees.

Products & Markets

What's included in the Products and Markets chapter?

The Products and Markets chapter covers detailed products and service segmentation and analysis of major markets for the for the Sports and Physical Recreation Clubs industry in Australia.

Questions answered in this chapter include how are the industry's products and services performing, what are innovations in industry products and services, what products or services do successful businesses offer and what's influencing demand from the industry's markets. This includes data and statistics on industry revenues by product and service segmentation and major markets.

Geographic Breakdown

What's included in the Geographic Breakdown chapter?

The Geographic Breakdown chapter covers detailed analysis and datasets on regional performance of the Sports and Physical Recreation Clubs industry in Australia.

Questions answered in this chapter include where are industry businesses located and how do businesses use location to their advantage. This includes data and statistics on industry revenues by location.

Competitive Forces

What's included in the Competitive Forces chapter?

The Competitive Forces chapter covers the concentration, barriers to entry and supplier and buyer profiles in the Sports and Physical Recreation Clubs industry in Australia. This includes data and statistics on industry market share concentration, barriers to entry, substitute products and buyer & supplier power.

Questions answered in this chapter include what impacts the industry's market share concentration, how do successful businesses handle concentration, what challenges do potential industry entrants face, how can potential entrants overcome barriers to entry, what are substitutes for industry services, how do successful businesses compete with substitutes and what power do buyers and suppliers have over the industry and how do successful businesses manage buyer & supplier power.

Companies

What's included in the Companies chapter?

The Companies chapter covers Key Takeaways, Market Share and Companies in the Sports and Physical Recreation Clubs industry in Australia. This includes data and analysis on companies operating in the industry that hold a market share greater than 5%.

Questions answered in this chapter include what companies have a meaningful market share and how each company is performing.

External Environment

What's included in the External Environment chapter?

The External Environment chapter covers Key Takeaways, External Drivers, Regulation & Policy and Assistance in the Sports and Physical Recreation Clubs industry in Australia. This includes data and statistics on factors impacting industry revenue such as economic indicators, regulation, policy and assistance programs.

Questions answered in this chapter include what demographic and macroeconomic factors impact the industry, what regulations impact the industry, what assistance is available to this industry.

Financial Benchmarks

What's included in the Financial Benchmarks chapter?

The Financial Benchmarks chapter covers Key Takeaways, Cost Structure, Financial Ratios, Valuation Multiples and Key Ratios in the Sports and Physical Recreation Clubs industry in Australia. This includes financial data and statistics on industry performance including key cost inputs, profitability, key financial ratios and enterprise value multiples.

Questions answered in this chapter include what trends impact industry costs and how financial ratios have changed overtime.

Industry Data

What's included in the Industry Data chapter?

The Industry Data chapter includes 10 years of historical data with 5 years of forecast data covering statistics like revenue, industry value add, establishments, enterprises, employment and wages in the Sports and Physical Recreation Clubs industry in Australia.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the market size of the Sports and Physical Recreation Clubs industry in Australia in 2026?

The market size of the Sports and Physical Recreation Clubs industry in Australia is $3.5bn in 2026.

How many businesses are there in the Sports and Physical Recreation Clubs industry in Australia in 2026?

There are 2,357 businesses in the Sports and Physical Recreation Clubs industry in Australia, which has grown at a CAGR of 4.3 % between 2021 and 2026.

How may import tariffs affect the Sports and Physical Recreation Clubs industry in Australia?

The Sports and Physical Recreation Clubs industry in Australia is unlikely to be materially impacted by import tariffs with imports accounting for a low share of industry revenue.

How may export tariffs affect the Sports and Physical Recreation Clubs industry in Australia?

The Sports and Physical Recreation Clubs industry in Australia is unlikely to be materially impacted by export tariffs with exports accounting for a low share of industry revenue.

Has the Sports and Physical Recreation Clubs industry in Australia grown or declined over the past 5 years?

The market size of the Sports and Physical Recreation Clubs industry in Australia has been declining at a CAGR of 0.4 % between 2021 and 2026.

What is the forecast growth of the Sports and Physical Recreation Clubs industry in Australia over the next 5 years?

Over the next five years, the Sports and Physical Recreation Clubs industry in Australia is expected to grow.

What are the biggest companies in the Sports and Physical Recreation Clubs industry in Australia?

The biggest companies operating in the Sports and Physical Recreation Clubs industry in Australia are Richmond Football Club, West Australian Football Commission Inc. and Collingwood Football Club

What does the Sports and Physical Recreation Clubs industry in Australia include?

Professional sports club operation and Individual professional athletes are part of the Sports and Physical Recreation Clubs industry in Australia.

Which companies have the highest market share in the Sports and Physical Recreation Clubs industry in Australia?

The company holding the most market share in the Sports and Physical Recreation Clubs industry in Australia is Richmond Football Club.

How competitive is the Sports and Physical Recreation Clubs industry in Australia?

The level of competition is high and steady in the Sports and Physical Recreation Clubs industry in Australia.

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