Tough weeks for the Peloton brand continue as more bad news encircles the famous fitness brand. Another TV character got a heart attack while riding his interactive bike – this time it was Mike Wagner as the season 6 premiers of the famous Showtime show “Billions”.
Peloton saw a huge 11% drop in sales last month after the fictitious character of Mr. Big in Sex and the City died after riding the Peloton bike on the HBO max streaming reboot.
Peloton released a statement stating although they understand why their products are sometimes featured in television shows, they did not agree for their brand and IP to be used on “Billions.”
“As referenced by the show itself, there are strong benefits of cardio-vascular exercise to help people lead long, happy lives,” a Peloton spokesperson said.
But unlike Mr. Big, Wags survives — and the show even makes a nod to the “Sex and the City” plot, which was added in post-production,
“I’m not going out like Mr. Big,” Wags says in the “Billions” season premiere.
Rumor has it that Peloton is thinking of pausing its production of the low-end bikes for two months but the CEO John Foley stated that “rumors that we are halting all the production of bikes and treads are false.”
Peloton has been a staple for many people while they were in a lockdown and the stay-at-home restrictions. Consumers have started to return to gyms but the company has been facing a huge crisis over these fictional television characters’ health issues while using peloton products.
