Michigan Athletics Partnering with Peloton
In a deal that looks to be the first of it's kind, Michigan Athletics announced today that it is partnering with Peloton.
Highlights:
- Co-branded Peloton bikes to be provided and used on Michigan sidelines and in athletic training facilities throughout campus (not available for purchase)
- Peloton to support Michigan athletic teams and fans with with fitness instruction, co-branded content, and in-venue activations
- Michigan Football Cinematic Game Recaps on MGoBlue.com and social platforms will be powered by Peloton
- Peloton to sponsor Maize Rage student section at Men's/Women's basketball games
- Peloton to partner with Michigan student-athlete influencers in an expanded name, image and likeness (NIL) campaign
August 22nd, 2023 at 8:39 PM ^
I assume that the screens will let players warm up by driving over Buckeyes?
August 22nd, 2023 at 8:44 PM ^
Like all exercise bikes, I'm going to assume that halfway through the season, you will see that the peloton is just another place to hang stuff on.
August 23rd, 2023 at 9:08 AM ^
If someone uses their bike to hang stuff on, that says a lot more about the owner of said bike than the bike itself or its manufacturer.
I purchased my Peloton two and a half years ago and it has seen constant use ever since. I've also lost about 170 pounds in that time.
Was it expensive? Yes. Was it worth it? Absolutely.
August 23rd, 2023 at 9:51 AM ^
Username checks out
August 23rd, 2023 at 10:14 AM ^
They are pretty great, but way expensive. I found one on craigslist that still had the plastic on the screen. I think I paid $1200. Great deal. This was also about 3 months prior to covid shutdown and that lady could have gotten double that 3-4 months after I bought it. The best part of the whole thing was when I went to pick it up, her husband just returning from the gym helped me carry it out. I about dropped it laughing when he said, "well this is probably the most exercise anyone in this house has gotten with this thing since it was purchased". ha
August 23rd, 2023 at 10:52 AM ^
I prefer buying things new when I can because I don't trust others to take care of their possessions as well as I do. Also if there is an issue, I want to be sure I can get some kind of refund or replacement.
The price is indeed high but the quality is without question. I haven't had to replace a single part of my peloton since I received it in early March of 2021. It doesn't even wobble or creak or give me any indication that it has been used as much as I have used it.
To give you an idea, I rode the bike for more than 5000 minutes in the first year, approximately 11,500 minutes the second year, and I'm 16 minutes away from another 5000 this year. My goal is to reach 10,000 again before the year is out.
August 23rd, 2023 at 11:38 AM ^
yeah, that is awesome. I agree somewhat, but paying less than half the price in cash for a bike that still had the plastic on the screen was a screaming deal. This was end of 2019 and I've had zero issues.
I'm actually in the same boat for a rower currently. I'd love the Peloton, especially since I already pay for the monthly service, but their machine is just ridiculously overpriced. It's no wonder they are going bankrupt. You can still be a "premium" brand without prices so crazy they hurt sales. Their pricing model is way off.
August 22nd, 2023 at 8:48 PM ^
Fwiw, my wife spins and says the peleton instructors are top notch but that there are better and cheaper bikes on the market.
August 22nd, 2023 at 8:57 PM ^
My husband has a Schwinn that he bought during Covid and really likes it. Much cheaper than a Peloton, but you have to provide your own screen in the form of a tablet, which was fine with him.
August 23rd, 2023 at 12:32 AM ^
We did the same thing for my wife. Just ran the app through the TV. Doesn't get much use anymore, but that's ok, the gym is open.
August 22nd, 2023 at 9:06 PM ^
Oh absolutely. I mean, they're essentially just spin bikes with a tablet bolted on. But as a business model, if you can get people to pay the (ridiculous) premium for that, it's a no brainer. Peloton's recent financial issues notwithstanding.
August 23rd, 2023 at 5:45 AM ^
The rise and fall of peloton. I’m all for companies making things here, but they failed to realize their popularity would be short lived. Lots of Hilton and Marriotts have them and I used 1 once and went back to the elliptical. A bike that goes nowhere is still a stationary bike, no fancy price changes that. My daughter bought one during Covid and it’s officially a towel hanger. She just paid it off.
August 23rd, 2023 at 8:34 AM ^
Wait until you find out how much Tonal costs.
August 23rd, 2023 at 8:12 AM ^
We bought the Echelon bike and we've been using it pretty consistently for pushing two years now. We ended up buying an Echelon rower about a year ago and I make good use of that. The classes are good and once you find an instructor or two that you like, it really helps keep you from getting in ruts of doing the exact same thing over and over and over and getting bored with it. Yes, its all spinning and rowing, but a good instructor makes the drills you do varied to help keep you from simply plateauing.
August 22nd, 2023 at 8:59 PM ^
Also Denis to appear at halftime to warn the team "if you can't be good, be careful"
August 22nd, 2023 at 8:59 PM ^
Cue the jokes that we're staying in the pack and not getting out in the front.
Seriously, it sounds like an interesting deal.
August 22nd, 2023 at 9:06 PM ^
That would look nice collecting dust in my Michigan themed gym.
August 22nd, 2023 at 9:15 PM ^
I think we've found a way for Jim to get onto the field for the first three games - what if we have an on-site Peloton instructor that looks a surprising amount like Jim Harbaugh?
August 22nd, 2023 at 9:19 PM ^
Train smart, train hard, and have fun!
August 22nd, 2023 at 9:36 PM ^
Been tricking myself into doing cardio ever since I got a Peloton Bike+ during the pandemic - 3 years and counting! For someone who works remotely and can’t stand traffic/gym crowds, there’s no better in-home workout solution for quick access.
The instructors are all pretty great and Peloton has really started to ramp up their offering of non-cycling classes like strength, stretching, yoga, meditation, etc.
Great partnership for Michigan (and Peloton, too)
August 22nd, 2023 at 10:02 PM ^
Same here. I will hit my 3 year weekly streak in a month or so. Great purchase. Pricey, but I like it
August 23rd, 2023 at 2:29 PM ^
Nice, Brose. I'm about there with you - I'm at 191 weeks right now.
August 22nd, 2023 at 9:39 PM ^
Any big name partnership that will result in NIL opportunities is great is my book
August 22nd, 2023 at 9:46 PM ^
NIL opportunities should be a condition for all Michigan athletics sponsorships
August 23rd, 2023 at 9:44 AM ^
Peloton instructors have massive social media followings, and it is a great opportunity for Michigan athletes to tap into that. I can also see Peloton running classes on campus. And if you want some real fun, check out the partnership announcement on Peloton's IG feed: many irate Buckeyes pissing and moaning. Good times.
August 22nd, 2023 at 10:34 PM ^
I'm taking every single one of JJ's pre-game meditation classes
August 22nd, 2023 at 10:55 PM ^
Get the money from them quickly. Peloton won't be around too much longer.
August 23rd, 2023 at 8:43 AM ^
The stock price is tanking in pre market. Down about 30% due to crappy earnings.
August 23rd, 2023 at 9:25 AM ^
Michigan should just buy the company and let athletes earn NIL money as part time spin instructors.
August 23rd, 2023 at 12:04 AM ^
I hope the contract says something like “if you go out of business halfway through the season, Michigan gets to keep the bikes.”
IF Peloton survives the next 12 months, they might end up being a viable company. But, like every other wonder-tech company, they burned investor dollars trying to achieve scale and brand recognition at any cost, in the hope of making fat stacks off an IPO. And never once did they ever ask “hey, do we have a sustainable business model, or…umm…any operations…at all???”
Turns out…no. They haven’t been margin positive for over 2 years, and their survival depends on the success of an operations and supply chain overhaul. Meaning that the Peloton bike made 6 months from now will be a very different machine than the ones they built their brand on.
Good luck to them.
August 23rd, 2023 at 5:50 AM ^
Yep. I live in the shithole state that is Ohio. I remember Dewine and the media touting a new peloton factory outside of Bowling green. Then it was gone.
August 23rd, 2023 at 7:50 AM ^
You a fortune teller. PTON is down 25% for the negative outlook. RIP!
August 23rd, 2023 at 1:46 AM ^
Why not Tonal? Their founder and CTO Aly Orady is from Ann Arbor.
August 23rd, 2023 at 2:15 AM ^
Not gonna lie: they had me at "in-venue activations".
August 23rd, 2023 at 2:52 AM ^
Wait, didn’t Mr. Big have a heart attack on one of those? Do not want…
August 23rd, 2023 at 10:57 AM ^
That says a lot more about "Mr. Big" than the bike itself. If he was that out of shape, he should have taken an easier class. At some point we have to be accountable for our own shortcomings, own up to them, and fix them as best we can. Not saying he blamed Peloton for his heart attack. Just saying blaming the bike is the wrong way to think about it.
August 23rd, 2023 at 6:51 AM ^
We were the first college to have partnerships with peloton and lululemon. Companies like our well-off alumni.
August 23rd, 2023 at 8:28 AM ^
“Peloton to support Michigan athletic teams and fans with with fitness instruction, co-branded content…”
So IOW we’re going to be deluged with Peloton ads on TV and radio. Oh goody.
August 23rd, 2023 at 8:48 AM ^
Honest to god, the Peloton bike and their fitness apps are an absolute beast.
I am so convinced that I think half the people hating on Peloton "on message boards" are athletes that actually have one and don't wan't their competition to get an edge. It is literally that good.
It will absolutely make you faster and stronger by very significant margins.
It has a power meter and you can race against other people or your own PRs. Records everything for you. What else does an athlete need to for measuring and tracking their gains? Plus, it is way cheaper than a gym membership, personal trainer or in person classes.
Do your heart, lungs and gut a favor and blow the doors off your Strava segments.
August 23rd, 2023 at 11:02 AM ^
I'm of the opinion that people who hate on Peloton or exercise in general are people who are in bad shape and don't want to put time and effort into becoming healthy. They see what others can and have accomplished and don't want to put in the work required to get there. I used to be one of those people, then I got tired of being who I was and made the necessary changes.
August 23rd, 2023 at 9:43 AM ^
- Co-branded Peloton bikes to be provided and used on Michigan sidelines and in athletic training facilities throughout campus (not available for purchase)
"Sounds like a challenge!" -- Wolverine Devotee
August 23rd, 2023 at 9:43 AM ^
So who wants to take meditation classes with JJ or do some deadlifts with Corum and Jenkins?
SIGN ME UP
August 23rd, 2023 at 11:05 AM ^
Taking classes with UM athletes would be very cool. Probably one of the best forms of NIL a student athlete can have. It gets them paid, gets them exposure, and takes advantage of their biggest strength, fitness!
I'd be thrilled to participate in filming a class if I were one of these kids.
August 23rd, 2023 at 9:11 PM ^
Funny they’re trying to spin this as a revolutionary type deal. Not sure what’s weaker, my pun or this deal?