Could insurance providers be Peloton’s lifeline?

UnitedHealthcare announced that it’s expanded its partnership with Peloton, the fitness platform. The health insurer’s 10 million commercial members can now receive a free yearlong subscription to the Peloton app.

Why should we care?
While Peloton and UnitedHealthcare’s partnership has existed since 2021, the news of this expanded partnership solidifies a symbiotic relationship between Peloton and insurance providers. “Our initial offer with Peloton is proving effective in helping encourage many of our members to get or stay active, with the goal of supporting their mental, physical, and emotional health,” said Dr. Rhonda Randall, Chief Medical Officer for UnitedHealthcare’s commercial business. “This expanded collaboration will help even more people maximize the value of their health benefits while pursuing their fitness goals.” On UnitedHealthcare’s side, offering access to Peloton is a cheap, tech-driven form of preventive care that can lower healthcare costs per member. Peloton, meanwhile, gains access to millions of potential customers; UnitedHealthcare members collectively complete 1 million Peloton classes online per month. Further, users who take at least one class per month complete an average of three classes per week, signaling high rates of user engagement. With Peloton’s stock hovering around 9% of its peak value, UnitedHealthcare may consider acquiring Peloton to build out an omnichannel healthcare system—or, if that’s off the table, Peloton may double down on an insurance-partner strategy with other carriers, finding other pools of engaged users.