Arts and recreation business valuation benchmarks for New Zealand
Valuation evidence for New Zealand arts and recreation services businesses, drawn from 233 verified gym, fitness and recreation business sales recorded by licensed NZ business brokers. Indexed price trends, median time-to-sell, recent comparables and a regional heatmap, covering ANZSIC Division R nationwide.
The state of the NZ arts and recreation business sales market
Arts and Recreation Services (ANZSIC Division R) covers health and fitness centres, gyms, amusement and recreation activities, and amusement parks. Bizstats has recorded 233 sales in the category. Auckland accounts for roughly 52% of transactions.
This is a discretionary-spending category, and the data reflects it. The indexed median sale price climbed as high as 223 but has settled at 97 by 2025, a cumulative move of -3% on the 2010 baseline, ending the period close to, and fractionally below, where it began.
The SDE multiple index sits at 104, close to its baseline. Gyms and recreation businesses can carry meaningful fit-out and equipment, membership income that is sensitive to the economic cycle, and exposure to consumer discretionary spending, and buyers weigh those factors when setting the multiple. Time-to-sell, at 6 months, is on the longer side of the Bizstats range.
Sale price and SDE multiple figures are indexed to 2010 = 100. The +% values show cumulative change since the 2010 baseline. The full dollar medians, by sub-category, are available in a Bizstats valuation report.
Indexed median arts and recreation sale price
Median sale price for New Zealand arts and recreation business transactions, indexed to 2010 = 100. The underlying dollar medians by sub-category are published in the Bizstats valuation report.
Commentary: The arts and recreation price index has been a round trip: up to 223 at its strongest, but back to 97 by 2025, a cumulative move of -3%. Headline sale prices have ended the period fractionally below the 2010 baseline, an outcome consistent with a discretionary-spending category.
Indexed median arts and recreation SDE multiple
Median SDE (Seller's Discretionary Earnings) multiple paid for New Zealand arts and recreation businesses, indexed to 2010 = 100. The price index tracks what businesses sell for; the SDE multiple index tracks what buyers are paying per dollar of earnings. Actual multiples by sub-category are published in a Bizstats valuation report.
Commentary: The SDE multiple index has moved within a 66-136 band and sits at 104 by 2025, close to the 2010 baseline. Buyers weigh fit-out and equipment value, the durability of membership income and exposure to consumer discretionary spending when pricing a gym or recreation business.
What buyers pay for in a arts and recreation business sale
The average split of the sale price into tangible assets, stock and intangibles (brand, customer base and other non-physical value) for NZ arts and recreation business transactions, year by year. Each bar is a 100% view: it shows the mix, not the dollar value.
- Tangibles
- Stock
- Intangibles
| Year | Tangibles | Stock | Intangibles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 26% | 1% | 73% |
| 2012 | 24% | 1% | 75% |
| 2013 | 40% | 1% | 59% |
| 2016 | 25% | 1% | 74% |
| 2017 | 39% | 0% | 61% |
| 2018 | 35% | 0% | 65% |
| 2019 | 35% | 0% | 65% |
| 2020 | 43% | 0% | 57% |
| 2023 | 43% | 0% | 57% |
| 2024 | 63% | 0% | 37% |
| 2025 | 27% | 1% | 72% |
Commentary: Arts and recreation businesses (gyms, studios, venues, leisure operators) carry meaningful fit-out and equipment. By 2025 the median sale split roughly 27% tangible assets, 1% stock and 72% intangibles. The intangible share has moved from 73% in 2010 to 72% (-1 points): a loyal membership base and established programming increasingly outweigh the gear.
Median time-to-sell for NZ arts and recreation businesses
Median months from listing to unconditional sale for NZ arts and recreation business transactions. A leading indicator of buyer demand. Tighter time-to-sell signals stronger competition for available stock.
Commentary: Time-to-sell has been fairly stable, around 6 months, with a high of 7 months in 2011. That sits on the longer side of the Bizstats range: buyers take time to assess membership retention, equipment condition and lease terms before committing.
Recent arts and recreation business sales in NZ
A sample of recent anonymised arts and recreation transactions. Each row shows ANZSIC sub-category, region, revenue, SDE and sale month, with revenue and SDE rounded to the nearest $100,000. Full anonymised comparables with exact sale prices and SDE multiples are in a Bizstats valuation report.
| ANZSIC | Region | Revenue | SDE | SDE X | Sold |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amusement and Other Recreation Activities n.e.c. | Waikato | $300,000 | $100,000 | ••• | Jan 2026 |
| Health and Fitness Centres and Gymnasia Operation | Manawatu | $700,000 | $200,000 | ••• | Nov 2025 |
| Health and Fitness Centres and Gymnasia Operation | Canterbury | $300,000 | $200,000 | ••• | Nov 2025 |
| Health and Fitness Centres and Gymnasia Operation | Waikato | $900,000 | $300,000 | ••• | Sep 2025 |
| Amusement Parks and Centres Operation | Auckland | $1,700,000 | $200,000 | ••• | Aug 2025 |
| Lottery Operation | Northland | $500,000 | $100,000 | ••• | Aug 2025 |
| Lottery Operation | Auckland | $600,000 | $100,000 | ••• | Jul 2025 |
| Amusement Parks and Centres Operation | Manawatu | $200,000 | $100,000 | ••• | Jul 2025 |
| Health and Fitness Centres and Gymnasia Operation | Bay of Plenty | $200,000 | $100,000 | ••• | Mar 2025 |
| Health and Fitness Centres and Gymnasia Operation | Auckland | $600,000 | $200,000 | ••• | Jan 2025 |
See what they actually sold for. A Bizstats valuation report unlocks exact sale prices, SDE multiples and time-to-sell for arts and recreation businesses by ANZSIC sub-category.
Create a Bizstats report →Sample drawn from 233 verified arts and recreation transactions, updated as new sales are recorded by our network of licensed NZ business brokers.
Arts and recreation business sales by NZ region
Arts and recreation transaction activity and median time-to-sell mapped across New Zealand's 16 regions. Auckland leads with 120 recorded sales. Most regions fall below the reporting threshold for time-to-sell. Switch the metric to compare regions.
| Region | Transactions | Median time-to-sell (months) |
|---|---|---|
| Northland | 5 | Insufficient sample |
| Auckland | 120 | 4 |
| Waikato | 23 | 5 |
| Bay of Plenty | 11 | Insufficient sample |
| Gisborne | 1 | Insufficient sample |
| Taranaki | 7 | Insufficient sample |
| Manawatu | 5 | Insufficient sample |
| Hawke's Bay | 4 | Insufficient sample |
| Wellington | 11 | Insufficient sample |
| Tasman | 2 | Insufficient sample |
| Nelson | 1 | Insufficient sample |
| Marlborough | 0 | Insufficient sample |
| West Coast | 1 | Insufficient sample |
| Canterbury | 26 | 3.5 |
| Otago | 15 | 5 |
| Southland | 1 | Insufficient sample |
Put these arts and recreation benchmarks to work
Apply Bizstats arts and recreation benchmarks to a specific business: your own, a target acquisition or a comparable you're researching. Three free tools, no signup, real insights.
Work out Seller's Discretionary Earnings for a gym, fitness or recreation business, step by step.
Calculate SDEStart hereApply industry multiples to your SDE and get a market value estimate in seconds.
Try for FreeCalculate the return on investment for an arts or recreation business purchase.
Calculate ROIArts and recreation business valuation FAQ
ANZSIC Division R covers health and fitness centres and gyms, amusement and other recreation activities, and amusement parks and centres. Bizstats has recorded 233 sales across the category.
No, not on a long-run basis. Indexed to 2010 = 100, the median sale price reached 223 at its peak but settled at 97 by 2025, a cumulative move of -3%. Headline prices have ended the period fractionally below where they began, consistent with a discretionary-spending category.
Buyers weigh fit-out and equipment value, how durable membership income is through the economic cycle, and exposure to consumer discretionary spending. The Bizstats SDE multiple index sits close to its 2010 baseline. Exact multiples by sub-category are in a Bizstats valuation report.
Median time-to-sell is around 6 months, on the longer side of the Bizstats range. Buyers take time to assess membership retention, equipment condition and lease terms before committing.
The dataset is updated monthly as new transactions flow in from our network of licensed New Zealand business brokers. Recorded coverage reaches back well over a decade, and the indexed trends on this page are benchmarked from 2010.
About this page
The benchmark figures, charts and recent comparables above are drawn from 233 verified arts and recreation business sales recorded by licensed NZ business brokers. The written analysis is generated from that data and reviewed by the Bizstats team, and is refreshed as new sales are recorded. These are indicative market benchmarks, not a formal valuation. See our Terms of Use.
Benchmarks last updated .
Learn more about business valuation
Guides that explain the metrics behind these arts and recreation benchmarks: SDE, earnings multiples, the ANZSIC classification and how market-based valuation works.
Understanding the Role of SDE in Business Valuation
One of the most widely used methods for business valuation is the capitalisation of earnings. Learn why Seller's Discretionary Earnings (SDE) is crucial for SME valuation.
Key Factors That Impact Earnings Multiples in Business Valuation
For small to medium-sized businesses (SMEs), Seller's Discretionary Earnings (SDE) is the most relevant measure when valuing a business. This is particularly true in New Zealand, where 97% of businesses have fewer than 20 employees.
Value Modifiers in Business Valuation
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When is the Best Time to Sell my Business?
Thinking about selling your business? Remember that timing is everything! At Bizstats, we prefer a data-driven approach to business decisions.
Understanding ANZSIC
ANZSIC codes classify business data, simplifying your search for accurate comparables on Bizstats.
Market Based Valuation 101
Understand your business's value with Market-Based Valuation: a simple, fast method using real sales data.