Michigan enters partnership with Peloton, opens opportunity for NIL deals

Michigan athletes could soon be featured in an NIL campaign for Peloton.

Through a partnership negotiated by Learfield and Learfield’s Michigan Sports Properties, Peloton has been designated as the official Connected Fitness Partner of Michigan Athletics. With plans in place for co-branded Peloton Bikes on the Big House sidelines to replace aerobic bikes and throughout Michigan athletic facilities, it marks the beginning of a relationship between the two brands.

According to the release, the business partnership also opens up the opportunity for NIL deals involving Wolverine athletes. Peloton will integrate Michigan athletes into an “expanded name, image and likeness campaign” to better reach students and alumni. The campaign will build brand awareness, drive participation and inspire fans to use Peloton.

“We’re pleased to partner with Peloton as its first collegiate activation,” Michigan Athletic Director Warde Manuel said in a statement. “We look forward to collaborating with Peloton and Learfield on projects ranging from beneficial opportunities for our student-athletes to enhanced membership possibilities and content for the entire U-M community.”

The partnership also stretches to the student body, allowing students to receive access to Peloton’s App One tier. Through the app, students will have access to Peloton instructors’ expertise across nine of the brand’s 16 fitness modules.

“Peloton is excited to be an official partner of University of Michigan Athletics,” Peloton’s chief emerging officer Dion Camp Sanders said. “Exercise, fitness, and sports are such an important part of the college experience and the physical and mental health of students. We’re proud to be a part of their journey and to bring amazing access and experiences to students and alumni.”

What this means for Michigan’s NIL program

More and more athletic departments are prioritizing NIL opportunities when entering into sponsorship deals. For example, Learfield partnered with Zips Car Wash in a co-branded, multi-team NIL campaign last August.

Adidas has become a major spender in the NIL space, announcing a sweeping deal in March 2022 to create a NIL network to enable more than 50,000 athletes at 109 Adidas-sponsored schools to become paid brand ambassadors. Through Postgame, the sportswear brand has worked with notable names like Hailey Van Lith,  Kansas’ Gradey Dick and Indiana’s Trayce Jackson-Davis and Jalen Hood-Schifinio.

In the last week, Notre Dame quarterback Sam Hartman signed with Under Armour, gifting his entire team SlipSpeed shoes. The endorsement deal comes on the heels of Under Armour extending its apparel deal with Notre Dame. In its announcement, the sportswear brand said it would be “supporting student-athletes both on AND off the field.” 

Michigan’s move with Peloton is not a surprise but it is smart. A growing name in the fitness world could help elevate the athletic department’s brand and center its athletes at the forefront of an NIL campaign.