Urban Sports Club distributes 1.4 million euros of Solidarity Fund to partners

Berlin, Germany, 12 August 2020 - Urban Sports Club has distributed 1.4 million euros of solidarity funds to their partners. At the same time, the sports platform encourages members to train locally and outdoors with its partners. Fitness and sports facilities in Germany and other European countries are now able to open again under hygiene measures, so the company is encouraging members to ease out of their fitness break and lifts the COVID Instant Pause for members. In March, Urban Sports Club responded to the crisis with an Instant Pause option to protect the health of all members and partners. At the same time, the Berlin-based company called for solidarity with its partners and provided them with a digital solution in the form of live online courses within days. This gave partners the opportunity to offer an optional online service via the Urban Sports Club platform, which enabled them to generate income, maintain contact with existing members and establish contact with new members from other European cities. The most frequently visited live online courses will be retained in the offer, which means that members with different needs have even more variety and flexibility than before. 

Solidarity Fund: Urban Sports Club distributes EUR 1.4 million 

During the lockdown period, Urban Sports Club launched the #activetogether campaign to support its partners, retaining only 20% of revenues to cover operating costs, technical development and marketing for the new online product. 80% of company revenues went to its partners. At the end of each month, the online check-ins of the members were reimbursed and the remaining amount was paid out as a solidarity fund to all partners who had already worked with Urban Sports Club before the restrictions in March 2020.  

The distribution was calculated in proportion to the income generated by each individual partner in the six months prior to the restrictions. This also supported partners who could not adapt their sports offer to an online format, such as wellness providers or indoor swimming and bouldering centres. 

Anna Jontza, owner of Ava Hot Yoga, Mönchengladbach, comments on the live online courses: "Urban Sports Club reacted quickly and flexibly in the Corona lockdown and helped me promote my online program. It was great to train people from all over Germany, whom I would otherwise not have reached with our courses." 

Regarding the solidarity fund, Bettina Cabrera Pedroso of the La Mambita dance school, Berlin says: "The money was already in my account yesterday. Thank you very much! I was very happy about it!" 

Benjamin Roth, CEO and co-founder of Urban Sports Club, explains: "Both our corporate clients and private members are looking forward to training again on site or outdoors at our partners. Besides the indoor and outdoor activities we offer the possibility to take part in hundreds of courses via livestream from home since March. In addition, we have paid out our solidarity fund and were thus able to support partners who did not have the opportunity to offer online formats. The response was overwhelming. Together with our partners in Europe, we are motivating people to adopt an active and healthy lifestyle.” 

For more about exercising in the New Normal: "Let's get back to sports" 

With their "Let's get back to sports" campaign, Urban Sport Club shows that after a long lockdown, the time has come to rediscover a training routine and do something good for both mental and physical health. The option to partake in online live courses, outdoor training or on-site classes means that every need can be met. Marketing campaigns and target group-specific recommendations are used to address private members and corporate customers alike and encourage them to take part in sport. The landing page “Let’s get back to sports” provides information on this new offer for our new normality. 

About Urban Sports Club 

Urban Sports Club offers a flexible sports flat rate. The aim is to encourage people to lead a healthier and more active lifestyle through the largest and most varied range of sports offers. From fitness, yoga, swimming and climbing to team sports and wellness offers - members can choose from over 50 sports to create their own unique training plan and discover new activities they feel passionate about. With over 10,000 partner locations in six countries in Europe (Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Belgium, Portugal), members can check-in for sports via the Urban Sports Club app. As a group of companies with OneFit, the Urban Sports Club network has more 12,000 partners to choose from. Private and corporate customers can choose to train in studios, outdoors or online via livestream. Urban Sports Club employs over 40 different nationalities in locations across Europe.

Contact: 

Franka Schuster, Public Relations Lead. 

franka.schuster@urbansportsclub.com, Telefon: +49 (0) 171 298 8941

Cristina Krenzer, PR Manager.

cristina.krenzer@urbansportsclub.com, Telefon: +49 (0) 170 220 9310