Beyoncé has entered into a multi-year collaboration deal to bring homecoming-themed workout classes to historically Black colleges and universities.
It seems apropos that Queen Bey is working with the interactive fitness platform to unveil their partnership during homecoming season at HBCUs, which was the theme of her classic headlining performance at the 2018 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and captured in her 2019 Netflix documentary Homecoming.
It is also appropriate that Peloton tapped Beyoncé because she is the most requested artist by Peloton’s global community of more than 3.6 million members, Variety reports.
Students at 10 participating HBCUs will receive a two-year Peloton digital membership. Students will be able to access the Peloton app to learn yoga, meditate, cycling, running, strength and boot camp workouts. Peloton’s library of live online streaming and recorded exercise classes are accessible on laptops, mobile devices, tablets and smart TVs.
According to Variety, the 10 participating schools are Bennett College, Clark Atlanta University, Grambling State University, Hampton University, Howard University, Morehouse College, Morehouse School of Medicine, Spelman College, Texas Southern University and Wilberforce University.
The terms of the deal were not disclosed by Peloton. The company’s usage and membership surged during the pandemic, but its stock dropped precipitously with the announcement that Pfizer has a viable COVID-19 vaccine. That could mean workout enthusiasts might feel safer returning to the gym en masse soon, and that prospect caused a 20 percent drop in the company’s shares.
Peloton’s stock, however, surged back up by 7 percent with the announcement of the Beyoncé partnership.
Beyoncé said the partnership makes sense for all parties involved.
“I’m proud to celebrate the students at HBCUs with this donation, to encourage them to find and embrace their own wellness regimens,” she said in a statement obtained by CNBC. “Peloton and I both believe that the power of music can help uplift, motivate and inspire those on their fitness journeys.”
