LG Electronics and SM Entertainment have launched Fitness Candy, a joint venture that will bring F.U.N (an acronym for First, Unique and New) user experiences to the fast-growing home fitness segment. LG and SM hold a 51 and 49 percent stake, respectively, in the company. LG and SM aim to create a comprehensive lifestyle platform – complete with content, services and related products – to help people address their health and fitness needs at home. LG will develop, operate and manage service platforms for Fitness Candy. “As a global leader in user-friendly software and hardware solutions integrating advanced AI and data analysis capabilities – the company explains – LG will also be designing a new generation of home fitness devices prioritizing convenience, ease-of-use and F.U.N customer experiences. SM, which boasts a wide global fandom based on its diverse roster of talents, will contribute world-class content to encourage and challenge users of all fitness levels”. Planning and producing home fitness-related content and devices, Fitness Candy will operate via a subscription service-based app. Set to be released in September, the app will be available for installation in various operating systems and devices such as smartphones and smart TVs, providing interactive, personalized services that collect data from smart bands, cameras and exercise devices. The company aims to introduce a variety of new devices that can be linked to its app. One of them is a device that can recognize and track users’ movements thanks to the inclusion of LG’s AI camera and IoT platform. Connecting wirelessly to the user’s TV, the device allows for two-way communication, creating the ideal setup for virtual one-on-one coaching sessions and for participating in live-streamed exercise classes.
