In case you missed it, in the first episode of the Sex and the City sequel And Just Like That, one of the main characters died while riding a Peloton bike. Afterward, Peloton shares took quite the nosedive – a whopping 11%! Read on to find out more…
Is The Bike Really The Issue?
Incredibly, Peloton shares dropped just a few hours after its exercise bike appeared in an episode of HBO Max’s And Just Like That, the new sequel to the hit show Sex and the City. In the episode, one of the main characters, Mr. Big, the husband of Sarah Jessica Parker‘s character, has a heart attack and dies while using the bike. That’s right!
While Peloton knew that And Just Like That would use one of its exercise bikes – one of its instructors, Jess King, even appeared in the episode – they did not know the context of the bike’s usage, “due to confidentiality reasons,” Peloton spokeswoman Denise Kelly said. Of course, as many doctors pointed out: it probably wasn’t the exercise bike.
“Mr. Big lived what many would call an extravagant lifestyle — including cocktails, cigars, and big steaks — and was at serious risk as he had a previous cardiac event in Season 6,” Dr. Suzanne Steinbaum, Peloton’s lead cardiologist, explained in a statement. “These lifestyle choices and perhaps even his family history, which often is a significant factor, were the likely cause of his death. Riding his Peloton bike may have even helped delay his cardiac event.” She also noted that “Peloton helps you track heart rate while you ride.”
However, this didn’t stop Peloton shares from dropping over 10%! And this is just another hit the share price took after an already rough year…
Peloton Shares Take Another Hit
As stated, this is not the first time this year that the Peloton company has faced share drops and severe criticism. Earlier this year, it angered Republican and right-wing users when they banned “Let’s Go Brandon” from its hashtags and username availability. Meanwhile, in June, the first wave of owners of the brand’s new $4,000 treadmills needed to sign up for a $39-a-month subscription to even use the treadmills. That’s right!
However, sadly, things only got worse from there. The new Peloton treadmill caused the death of a child just a few months after its release. The company faced increased scrutiny, resulting in the devices being recalled later on. Will 2022 be a better year for Peloton? Only time will tell…