- League Pass subscribers can watch matches directly from their kit
- NBA Fitness content to launch soon
Peloton has signed a multi-year partnership with the National Basketball Association (NBA) and Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) that will see them create basketball-themed fitness classes and enable NBA League Pass subscribers to stream live games on their equipment.
The deal is Peloton’s first for its new entertainment hub, which will roll out across the firm’s proprietary connected fitness equipment, including its smart bikes, treadmills and rowing machines.
Meanwhile, the ‘NBA Fitness’ initiative will see a range of health and fitness content added to both Peloton’s platform and through a new hub in the NBA app. The content will include classes, tips and programmes focusing on strength and conditioning, skills, recovery, nutrition and mental health.
“Peloton is the ideal partner to tip off the launch of NBA Fitness, our new platform to engage our fans’ affinity for health and wellness,” said Scott Kaufman-Ross, senior vice president, head of gaming and new business ventures at the NBA.
“We look forward to leveraging Peloton’s leadership in the space as we create co-branded fitness classes with both the NBA and WNBA, bring original content to the NBA App and make NBA League Pass available on Peloton devices.”
“Peloton Members are NBA and WNBA fans, and this collaboration is going to bring amazing content and experiences to them and all fans of both leagues,” added Leslie Berland, chief marketing officer of Peloton. “We have a shared goal to inspire and connect people through fitness, sport and community – we’re excited to join forces and achieve exactly that.”
SportsPro says…
This partnership forms part of NBA’s push to be seen both as a technologically progressive organisation, but also a lifestyle brand that spans multiple forms of leisure activity and entertainment. For Peloton, it brings a blue-chip sporting brand into its ecosystem as it continues to build out its own platform.
Peloton’s rapid growth during lockdown was based on a combination of expensive proprietary hardware and associated subscriptions. But the post-pandemic world was less kind to the company, necessitating a drastic cost-cutting programme and strategic rethink.
Peloton is now focused on securing as many subscribers to its fitness platform on as many devices as possible, with dedicated equipment a secondary consideration. Even so, Peloton has made its bikes available through more retail channels, including Amazon and Dick’s Sporting Goods.
By partnering with the NBA, Peloton has a high-profile showcase for both its software and hardware, building on recent partnerships with Premier League soccer giants Liverpool and various college sports organisations, as well as sports apparel firm Lululemon.