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Showtime’s Billions Season 6 managed to grab attention in the premiere episode itself that was released this Sunday. It showed Mike “Wags” Wagner suffering a heart attack while riding a Peloton bike.
Wagner, played by David Costabile, survived the minor attack connected to the popular workout company’s exercise bike. However, it gave the brand publicity, not in a good way.
Peloton recently issued a statement clarifying that the company never approved the use of its product on the show.
The statement to USA Today read:
"We get why these fictional TV shows would want to include a brand that people love to talk about, but Showtime's use of Peloton's Bike+ and reference to a Peloton Instructor was not a brand, product, or instructor placement, and we did not agree for our brand and IP to be used on this show or provide any equipment. As referenced by the show itself, there are strong benefits of cardio-vascular exercise to help people lead long, happy lives.”
The company also posted its side of the story on social media.
Peloton experienced a similar incident in ‘And Just Like That…’
Prior to Billions Season 6, the fitness company received backlash when a similar incident happened in the new series, And Just Like That…, a reboot of HBO Max’s Sex and the City.
In its premiere episode, Carrie Bradshaw’s husband, John James "Mr. Big" Preston (Chris Noth), dies of a heart attack as he completes his 1,000th Peloton ride. During the exercise, Mr. Big was accompanied by an instructor, played by the brand’s real-life fitness instructor, Jess King.
This led to a major drop in Peloton’s stock last month. In response, Peloton said they approved King's involvement but were unaware of the plot.
What do ‘Billions’ creators have to say about the fiasco?
Due to the last month’s incident, Peloton was already put in a negative light. The premiere of Billions Season 6 mirrored a similar plot. The only difference is that Wagner didn’t die.
Speaking about the entire fiasco, the show's creators called it a “coincidence” and told USA TODAY that they were not aware of the And Just Like That… incident.
Brian Koppelman, producer and co-creator of the Showtime series, said:
"That was all in the show, written a year ago and shot in April. But after ‘And Just Like That…' aired, our phones blew up from everyone on the show texting each other. So all we did different was add one line.”
The creators took a dig at the previous incident by showing Wagner returning to the office and saying, “I’m not going out like Mr. Big.” Earlier, Peloton gave a hilarious response to Mr.Big’s episode with a funny commercial but deleted it later after Noth was accused of se*ual assault.
Viewers who missed out on Billions Season 6 Episode 1 can watch it online on Showtime’s site. The network will release new episodes every Sunday at 9.00 pm ET.
