
Peloton’s brand under fire again after unfavorable portrayal in ‘Billion’
Peloton Interactive Inc. stationary bikes are on display at the company’s showroom on Madison Avenue in New York, USA, on Wednesday, December 18, 2019.
Gina Moon | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Warning: This article contains some spoilers for the Season 6 premiere of Billions.
Peloton’s hits keep coming.
The connected fitness company had a tumultuous week that sent shares plunging as Peloton said it was considering layoffs and plans to “scale” production levels as demand for its equipment wanes, another TV character appearing in a popular suffered a heart attack after riding a Peloton Bike on TV.
This comes about a month after the protagonist of HBO’s “Sex and the City” sequel series died of a heart attack after taking a Peloton cycling class.
In the season 6 premiere of Showtime’s “Billions,” protagonist Mike Wagner suffered a heart attack while riding a Peloton Bike. However, he recovered shortly thereafter and said later in the episode, “I’m not going out like Mr. Big,” referring to the appearance of “Sex and the City” Peloton. (The episode was released early on Friday, ahead of its scheduled premiere on Sunday night.)
According to The New York Times, the scene in “Billions” was written and filmed months before Mr. Big’s “And Just Like That…” scene. According to the report, a quote from Mr. Big was recently added in post-production.
A spokesman for the show did not immediately respond to CNBC’s request for comment.
In a statement on its Twitter account, Peloton said it did not grant “Billions” a license to use its brand on the show.
Dara Treseder, Peloton’s head of global marketing and communications, also said on Twitter: “We don’t provide any equipment to Billions. As the show itself mentions, cardiovascular exercise has great benefits. Exercise helps millions of real people Lead a long, happy life.”
After Peloton’s “Sex and the City” cameo started going viral online, the company’s stock price plummeted. Peloton was quick to fight back with its own parody ad, starring big actor Mr. Chris North, in which he ended up living and touting the benefits of cardio.
But when sexual assault allegations against Noth surfaced, the rebuttal backfired, and Peloton pulled his videos from all social media accounts. (Noth denies he assaulted the two women, saying the “encounter was consensual.”)
The story is developing. Please check for updates.
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