ULC and Pickleball Kingdom announce Australian franchise plans

Two US-based brands have announced expansion plans involving Australia, bringing new longevity and indoor pickleball concepts to the franchise community. Ultimate Longevity Center (ULC) plans 50 Australian locations, starting in Sydney, while Pickleball Kingdom has signed a master franchise agreement covering Australia and New Zealand. Both announcements outline development ambitions rather than completed national networks.

ULC targets Double Bay for its Australian debut

ULC announced its Australian expansion on 23 September 2026, following an announcement by co-founder Gary Brecka at the Fortuna One Global Summit in Sydney. According to the company’s release, Double Bay is confirmed as the first Australian location, with an opening targeted for the first quarter of 2027.

Further flagship locations are planned for Melbourne and Brisbane as part of a proposed 50-location national rollout. Athletech News also reported the expansion on 25 September, identifying Australia as ULC’s first market outside the United States.

The brand was built by Anthony Geisler’s Sequel Brands in partnership with Brecka and precision health platform Lifeforce. Its Australian plans include bringing its three-zone model — The Lab, The Apothecary and The Playground — to the local market.

The opening language matters: Double Bay has a target period, while Melbourne and Brisbane are identified as planned flagship markets. The supplied announcements do not give opening dates for those two cities or a completion date for the full Australian network.

For prospective franchisees, the immediate news is therefore the proposed scale and initial geography of the expansion, not evidence that 50 premises have been secured or are ready to trade.

Territory sales are not the same as open locations

ULC’s announcement places the Australian plans alongside rapid franchise territory sales in the United States. The company says it has sold more than 275 US territories since launching franchise sales in 2026, including 200 in its first four months.

Its release describes the Australian expansion as taking its global footprint past 300 territories. That description combines the planned Australian network with its reported US territory sales; it should not be read as a count of operating centres.

This distinction is particularly relevant when assessing a newly expanding brand. A territory figure describes a different milestone from an opening, and neither necessarily establishes how many customers a network is serving.

The published material also invites expressions of interest from potential Australian members and prospective franchise owners. Those invitations provide a route for further enquiries, but the research supplied does not set out Australian franchise fees, investment requirements or individual territory availability.

Pickleball Kingdom appoints a regional master franchisee

In a separate announcement on 23 September, Pickleball Kingdom said it had reached a master franchise agreement with Australian entrepreneur Cameron Bloomfield to develop indoor pickleball clubs across Australia and New Zealand.

Bloomfield will lead market development, site selection, franchise growth and the rollout of clubs across the two countries, according to the company. The agreement establishes responsibility for developing the brand regionally, rather than announcing a particular club opening.

Pickleball Kingdom says the agreement expands its footprint to four countries: the United States, India, Australia and New Zealand. As with ULC’s territory figures, that international footprint should be distinguished from a verified total of operating venues.

The supplied announcement does not specify a target number of Australian clubs, name the first location or provide an opening timetable. Those details remain important questions for anyone considering a local franchise opportunity.

What prospective franchisees should check next

The two announcements offer different levels of detail. ULC has published a national location target, a first suburb and an intended opening period. Pickleball Kingdom has named the master franchisee responsible for development across two countries, without publishing equivalent local opening details in the supplied material.

For Australia’s franchise community, both are developments to monitor, but neither announcement alone provides a complete basis for an investment decision. Prospective owners should seek current disclosure documents, clarify available territories and test the proposed timetable against site, funding and operating requirements.

Practical takeaway: distinguish announced expansion plans from signed territories and open venues. Before committing, obtain brand-specific financial information and independent legal and accounting advice.