Nike teams up with Netflix: Streaming fitness classes are hot!

Nike is streaming fitness classes on Netflix starting December 30, 2022.

Netflix

Article updated January 5th, 2023; article originally posted December 27th, 2022.

Despite facing many challenges in 2022, Netflix did not back down. Instead, it worked hard to develop new businesses to make a difference. Netflix announced that it would launch Nike’s fitness training classes at the end of the year to help users achieve their fitness goals.

The world-renowned streaming platform Netflix is preparing to officially enter the field of fitness content. The company announced on December 22 that it would soon launch Nike Training Club courses. Subscribers will be able to freely view 30 hours of fitness content covering various levels of difficulty and support up to 10 languages.

According to Netflix, the streaming fitness classes will be released in two phases. The first part will be released on December 30, and the rest is expected to be available in 2023. The first public course has a total of 45 episodes, including “two-week intensive core course” and “pleasant fitness”. The coaches who are streaming fitness classes are Joe Holder, Kirsty Godso, Betina Gozo and other Nike’s world level coach. After the course is released, users can receive fitness training directly on Netflix by searching “Nike”.

Nike Training Club is originally a fitness application, which is very similar to fitness platforms such as Apple Fitness + and Peloton, but Nike has not launched any hardware equipment. Users can use this program to perform strength training and yoga as well as high-intensity interval training under the guidance of Nike coaches in order to improve user’s strength, endurance and flexibility. Nike said that Nike Training Club is the ultimate training partner, providing excellent guidance, inspiration and motivation to help all users achieve their fitness goals.

Why does Netflix need streaming fitness classes?

It is a smart move for Netflix to cooperate with Nike to launch fitness-related content. In addition to integrating Netflix apps on fitness equipment such as treadmills and stationary bikes, users do not need to subscribe to other fitness content, and they can watch Nike on Netflix. More importantly, fitness training courses help attract users with fitness needs to stay on Netflix.

Netflix believes that in fact, motivating yourself to exercise is not an easy task, but choosing to burn body fat and then turn to your favorite TV show has a certain appeal. Although film and television series are still the core business provided by Netflix, how to expand new business scope has also been the company’s development focus in the past year, such as the previous launch of Netflix Games showed their ambition in the game field.

Sources said that this plan is also an experiment conducted by Netflix, just like the platform’s trial operation of interactive content before, it may decide whether to add more fitness content in the future based on the result. In the fitness field, it competes with platforms such as Apple Fitness+ and Peloton, and may even decide to invest in the production of self-made fitness content. These attempts may allow Netflix to stand out from the fierce competition of streaming platforms in the future, and the difference with other opponents will become more and more clear.

In addition, the release of Nike Training Club at the end of the year is calculating, mainly because people tend to make New Year’s resolutions about fitness. Netflix already has a huge user base, not only those already having fitness habits they could attract more users to try fitness on the platform.

Although Netflix is facing a significant loss of subscribers for the first time in 2022, its performance in the third quarter was better than expected, with revenue increasing by 6% compared with the same period last year. In a letter to shareholders in October, Netflix stated that after experiencing a challenging Q1, they believed the company is re-accelerating its growth and the key to growth is to please members. “When our series and movies excite our members, they tell their friends, and then more people watch, join and stay with us.”