Nike CEO and President Mark Parkersat down with CNBC’s “Squawk on the Street” for a quick interview discussing his thoughts on wearable technology, the Apple Watch and his company’s partnership with the iPhone maker, confirming that new services are coming down the pipeline.
Nike, which in April 2014 announcedshuttering its wearable-hardware efforts, has been collaborating with Apple on fitness wearables for years, in one form or another.
For example, the Nike+ Running iOS application is available on the Apple Watch, too, and Parker now assures us that more from Apple and Nike is yet to come.
Although Nike is no longer involved in the creation of wearable hardware, it continues to build digital connections with consumers with services and mobile apps. More than sixty million people actively use its various digital fitness apps and services.
“We are continuing to develop apps and experiences so we are working with Apple and other partners as well,” he said. Just to be clear, Parker said they are “excited about the potential that the Apple-Nike relationship has” and has specifically stated that the partnership “continues”.
The love affair between Apple and Nike can be traced back to the early days of the iPod, when the two companies co-developed and sold a tiny step-tracking chip for Nike shoes which talked wirelessly to the music player.
Nike was also a key launch partner for Apple’s Health platform, releasing the Move app that took advantage of the M7 motion coprocessor which debuted inside the iPhone 5s.
Having recently consolidated its iOS portfolio, Nike’s iOS apps now offer Health integration while iOS 8’s Health app, which even directly supports Nike Fuel points in its dashboard.