Peloton shares on Friday were at a 52-week low, one day after the airing of a “Sex and The City” reboot with a plot line featuring the exercise bike.
If you don’t want to know what happens in the first episode of the new show airing on HBO Max, please stop reading now. A spoiler will follow.
The reboot, titled “And Just Like That,” returns to the adventures of Carrie Bradshaw, played by Sarah Jessica Parker, and friends, and begins with the shock death of a main character: Mr. Big, played by Chris Noth, who suffers a heart attack following a Peloton exercise class, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Suzanne Steinbaum, a member of the Peloton Health & Wellness Advisory Council and a cardiologist, said fans of the show shouldn’t point the finger at Peloton over the incident.
“I’m sure ‘SATC’ fans, like me, are saddened by the news that Mr. Big dies of a heart attack,” Steinbaum told the Times in a statement.
“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. 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 added.
One analyst said that while the scene is unlikely to take a bite out of Peloton, it does change how the company is able to control its narrative.
“Although unlikely to impact sales, it does question whether PTON is losing degrees of control over its storytelling, perhaps its greatest achievement to date,” BMO Capital Markets analyst Simeon Siegel noted in a research note, according to CNBC.
CNBC noted that Peloton is also grappling with several other issues, including effective COVID-19 vaccines that have lifted or amended previous COVID-19 restrictions, curbing appetite for stay-at-home exercise machines. Additionally, all of their treadmills were recalled in early May.
Peloton has already seen its shares drop this week after they plummeted over 11 percent on Thursday. CNBC noted that for 2021, its stock price has dropped 73 percent.
The Hill has reached out to Peloton for comment.