Peloton Released Its Most-Watched Video Since the Pandemic—Thanks to This Buzzy Casting

After slashing costs, cutting jobsand pivoting business models, Peloton is leveraging a new asset in its turnaround plan: Heated Rivalry fans.

The $2 billion at-home fitness company dropped a new commercial last week featuring Hudson Williams. The 25-year-old Canadian actor plays Shane Hollander, the closeted gay hockey star in the hit romance series. The minute-long advertisement follows Williams, clad in a white tank top, matching short shorts, and gold chain, through his workout, dancing on a Peloton treadmill and lifting weights with popular Peloton instructor Tunde Oyeneyin. Against the soundtrack of “Fame” by David Bowie, Williams turns directly to the camera and winks.

That sweat-drenched cheekiness has delivered a much-needed dose of attention to the ailing fitness company. Within a few days, the video has racked up more than 4.7 million views on YouTube. The outpouring of clicks from the Heated Rivalry fans propelled the ad into the top five videos on Peloton’s YouTube channel. The video is now the most viewed since the company’s pandemic-era peak back in 2021.

Peloton could use that boost right now. The New York City-based company has struggled over the past five years to regain the cult following it developed during the pandemic lockdowns. With people stuck at home and unable to go to the gym, orders for Peloton’s stationary bikes, which feature screens that allow users to join workout classes remotely, skyrocketed. Backlogs ensued. At its peak in January 2021, the company, which went public in a $8.1 billion IPO in September 2019, was valued at more than $50 billion. Since then, shares have fallen from $167 to around $5.

After taking over as CEO last January, Peter Stern, a co-founder of Apple Fitness+, has embarked on a turnaround plan to transform the company from a hardware maker into a subscription business. That’s why you won’t see Hudson pedaling on one of the company’s infamous bikes. Instead, the breakout star is reminding the legions of consumers packing protein into their diet that Peloton is also a destination for at-home strength training.

At first glance, the ad might feel late to the game. Heated Rivalry premiered last fall, and the series, which was produced by the Canadian streaming service Crave, attracted more than 10 million viewers on HBO in the United States. But Peloton has proved once again that the fervor for the series, which is based on a popular series of books, has not faded.

Last month, Airbnb announced the famous lakefront Canadian cottagewhere the season finale was filmed, was available to rent. Perhaps fans can schedule an at-home workout class there while they wait for season two.

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