Taking care of your physical and mental health is essential for a fulfilling life

Sporting legend, Cristiano Ronaldo, whose outstanding skill and fitness levels have seen him dominate the top of the professional football game for decades, launched a new fitness app on 3 April as he ramps up his investments in the wellness industry.

Called Erakulis, it's been designed to be “more than an app”, according to Ronaldo, who says it’s an all-in-one wellness experience that will teach people “how to be fit, how to protect their body and how to prepare for life – physically and mentally.

“Taking care of your physical and mental health is essential for a fulfilling life and Erakulis is here to support you every step of the way,” he explains. “Behind your customised plan, we have a team of certified experts who will take the time to listen to your story, understand your aspirations and craft a tailored wellness experience plan that aligns with your goals and lifestyle.”

Features include video call appointments with experts, activity and progress reports, a water tracker for hydration, audiobooks for 'inner balance' and a challenges and rewards feature.

Workouts, fitness and nutrition plans can be customised and an interactive feature enables subscribers to give feedback on the app after workouts.

Erakulis says its pricing plan, which starts at €4.99/month, is cheaper than 'similar apps' which charge an average of €11.61/month. The Erakulis founder offer was for a 30-day trial and 50 per cent off for the first month for everyone who signed up before 3 April.

The launch of the app, with its focus on ‘fitness, nutrition and mental balance’ puts Ronaldo head to head with Chris Hemsworth’s Centr, which covers very similar ground, albeit with a very different style.

Ronaldo currently plays in the Saudi League for Al-Nassr on a US$215 million a year contract. He's also an ambassador for Saudi Arabia's 2034 World Cup bid.

Turning 39 this year, he's showing no signs of slowing down, finishing 2023 as the top scorer in world football, netting 54 goals for his club and the Portuguese national team during the year.

Ronaldo in the business world
The foundation stone for Ronaldo’s business interests is his company – founded in 2006 and called CR7 after his nickname, which is based on his initials and shirt number.

The brand started out in the world of fashion with shoes, underwear, eyewear and clothing, before diversifying into lifestyle sectors such as health and fitness, beauty/fragrances and hotels. 

In 2016, Ronaldo ventured into the health and fitness industry in partnership with Crunch Fitness to meet growing consumer interest in self-care and wellness. His franchised CR7 health club chain (www.cr7fitnesscrunch.com) now has 11 locations in Spain and Portugal offering PT, advice on nutrition and a wide range of classes, as well as a gym floor.

Hotels and clinics
CR7 hotels, a partnership with Pestana Group, launched in 2015 and currently has five luxury properties in New York, Madrid, Madeira, Marrakech and Lisbon, as well as a development pipeline of hotels in places such as Porto, Paris, Newark, US and Montevideo.

Beyond lifestyle and fashion, Ronaldo's investment in hair transplant clinic brand Insparya (www.insparya.es), has seen locations opening across Spain and Portugal, as well as in the Middle East.

Social media record breaker
Ronaldo’s fan-base is the foundation of his business activity, with much of this centred around social media, where he has 627 million followers on Instagram.

This makes his @cristiano account the most-followed in history by some margin against second-ranked Lionel Messi with 502 million and stars such as Selena Gomez and Kylie Jenner with 429 million and 400 million respectively. Hemsworth has 58.7 million by comparison. 

This direct-to-consumer firepower sees Ronaldo estimated to command up to US$3.23 million per Instagram post this year, up from US$2.1 million in 2023 and US$1.6 million in 2021.

The channel is used to promote his various product lines and endorsements, with the initial post for the Erakulis app seen by nearly 11 million people in the first few hours following the announcement of the impending launch.

Erakulis – the background
The Erakulis app was three years in development, with financial support from the EU, which provided €787,942 from the European Regional Development Fund between 2021 and 2023 to enable the startup.

The funds came via two bodies, Portugal 2020 – an investment partnership between the Portuguese government and the EU to drive the development of SME activity – and NORTE 2020 (Northern Regional Operational Program 2014/2020), a financial instrument designed to support regional development in the North of Portugal.

Although ownership of the Erakulis app has not been officially confirmed, a trademark registration filing by Erakulis LDA on 30 December 2022 gives the same address as one of Ronaldo’s businesses in Porto, Portugal, indicating a strong involvement by the footballer.

The registration also gives an indication of the likely eventual scope of the Erakulis business, covering as it does everything from nutritional supplements and software, to physical training services, psychological counselling and medical services.

As the app launches, it's likely this is just the beginning of a new business venture for Ronaldo that will cover multiple aspects of wellness.