Peloton just can't catch a break.
For the second time within two months, the company is responding to a television scene in which a fictional character suffers a heart attack after riding one of its bikes. In this case, the latest episode of Showtime's Billions depicts a character exercising on a Peloton bike and having a heart attack, although it's not fatal. The company on social media said "we did *not* agree for our brand or IP to be used" on Billions, nor did it provide equipment to the show.
"As the show itself points out, cardio-vascular exercise helps people lead long, happy lives," Peloton added.
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This came after Peloton's stock was rattled last month after the first episode of the Sex and the City reboot And Just Like That infamously included a scene in which a major character, Mr. Big, dies of a heart attack after exercising on a Peloton bike. The company told BuzzFeed News that it didn't know how HBO planned to use its equipment in the show, and it released a statement from a cardiologist declaring that Mr. Big's death was a result of his "extravagant lifestyle." Peloton then quickly put together an ad based on the episode in which Mr. Big returns, only for the ad to be pulled after the actor who plays him, Chris Noth, was accused of sexual assault.
Billions co-creator Brian Koppelman told USA Today the scene was shot in April 2021 and wasn't meant to intentionally echo the And Just Like That moment, although a line was later added to the episode referencing the Mr. Big drama. In the Billions premiere, after David Costabile's character Mike Wagner survives the heart attack, he declares, "I'm not going out like Mr. Big."
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