Earlier today, Nike CEO Mark Parker sat down with CNBC for a video interview to discuss his company exiting wearable hardware, Fitbitâs IPO, fitness software, a partnership with Apple, and the Apple Watch. Asked where the Nike and Apple partnership goes from here, Parker said âit continues,â and that âwe are excited about the potential that the Apple/Nike relationship has.â
Parker noted that Nike already offers the Nike+ app on the Apple Watch and that Nike has over 60 million digital fitness software users. Parker said Nike is âworking with Appleâ on new software and experiences. He ended by saying there is âmoreâ coming from Apple and Nike. Apple and Nike are already close partners for HealthKit as well.Â
Apple and Nikeâs relationship dates back nearly a decade with Apple releasing a special chip for Nike shoes that talked to early generations of the iPod for steps tracking. The pair of companies enhanced this partnership by installing step tracking sensors in the second-generation iPod touch and iPhone 3GS last decade.
Additionally, as is well known, Apple CEO Tim Cook is a Nike fan and sits on the fitness and sports companyâs Board of Directors. Last year, Nike shuttered its FuelBand business to focus on fitness software. Apple has also poached multiple former FuelBand engineers to work on the Apple Watch, we reported in the months leading up to the productâs introduction last fall.
The full video interview can be watched below:
Apple hires Angela Ahrendtsâ confidant former Nike exec to lead social media efforts
Nike seeking to expand software partnership with Apple following shutdown of wearable tech division
Leave a Reply Cancel reply
One Response to âNike CEO discusses future of Apple partnership, exiting wearables, Apple Watch (Video)â
- Fer Guzman (@OtiumOtiosum) says: Iâm bummed they stopped investing in the development of the Nike GPS watch, it was a great running watch.LikeLike