In an image heating apparatus, outer peripheral surfaces of two endless belts are held in contact with each other to form a nip portion, and a recording material bearing a toner image is heated at the nip portion while being pinched and conveyed. In the image heating apparatus, the nip portion has a pre-nip portion formed by regions of the endless belts with no backup by pressure members, and a pressure nip portion where one endless belt with backup by the pressure members is held in contact with another endless belt. The image heating apparatus is capable of securing a large nip width compatible with an increase in speed and free from "pressure-absence" leading to image abnormality such as misregistration, thus enabling an image having a sufficient gloss to be obtained.