In the world of fitness apps the key is to ‘play’ as a team

Now, users will see information such as the episode, music genre, trainer, metrics and achievements of their workouts on a miniature screen within Strava. This integration goes beyond the basic activity summaries available, which reinforces the value of both platforms and is a mechanism, according to experts, to become more competitive.

In Mexico, the use of health care technologies is growing. Statista estimates that 12.85 million people use fitness apps, and 15.14 million use wearables, such as smart watches or motion sensors. Projections point to sustained growth until 2029.

However, some apps face significant challenges. For example, downloads and monthly active users (MAU) of fitness apps decreased 2% and 3% year-over-year in the second quarter of 2024, according to data from Sensor Tower, a technology consultancy. This is attributed to the lack of attractive features and high costs that reduce the average usage time.

A notable case is Strong Workout, which had 15% download penetration in the second quarter of 2024, but the average time of use fell 26% year-on-year.

Furthermore, competition in terms of advertising is an issue to consider for this business vertical. Meta platforms, especially Facebook, dominate the advertising budget in the fitness app category, with 60% of spending in the United States, according to data from Data.ai. This has reduced the share of OTT services from 17% in 2023 to 9% in 2024.

Play as a team

Jay Blahnik, vice president of fitness technologies at Apple, highlighted for The Verge that this collaboration allows Fitness+ to expand its reach, becoming a complementary resource for experienced athletes interested in activities such as yoga or strength training. On the other hand, Zipporah Allen, commercial director of Strava, believes that this partnership could evolve towards more advanced integrations.

In the short term, this alliance benefits both companies. Strava faces criticism for changes to its API, or interface, and offering a free trial of Fitness+ could appease its users. At the same time, Fitness+ taps into a community of committed athletes, expanding its market beyond casual users.

The collaboration between Apple Fitness+ and Strava could set a trend in the health app sector, demonstrating that alliances are key to staying relevant in a competitive market.

This formula is not completely new. In 2024, EGYM and the technology company specialized in club and gym management, Virtuagym, announced their alliance by integrating Virtuagym’s member management software into the extensive EGYM ecosystem.

Similarly, local options like Wellhub are looking to join apps like Sports World or exercise studios like Síclo.