Hudson Williams, star of the hockey romance Heated Rivalry, appears in a new Peloton commercial doing dumbbell squats, planks, and treadmill runs without a Peloton Bike in sight.
The ad features Williams working out alongside Peloton instructor Tunde Oyeneyin to David Bowie’s “Fame” on a $6,695 Tread Plus treadmill.
This marks a shift from Peloton’s past focus on the Bike as a status symbol in affluent home settings, instead showing varied workouts in a gym environment.
Peloton’s third CEO, Peter Stern—a former Ford executive and cofounder of Apple Fitness Plus—has overseen this change in direction.
Previous Peloton ad eras under Barry McCarthy and John Foley emphasized app-only subscriptions and pandemic-era home fitness, often ending in backlash or leadership changes.
The 2019 holiday ad gifting a Bike was criticized as tone-deaf, while the 2021 Chris Noth spot collapsed after harassment allegations against the actor.
Williams’ commercial avoids the Bike entirely, signaling a broader hardware strategy beyond the original flagship product.
Peloton has not abandoned hardware but is repositioning its Tread line and app-led workouts as central to its identity.
Why is Peloton de-emphasizing the Bike in its advertising?
Peloton is shifting focus under CEO Peter Stern to highlight its Tread products and app-based workouts, reflecting a broader hardware and subscription strategy beyond the Bike.
What does the Heated Rivalry star’s gym setting suggest about Peloton’s new direction?
The gym setting indicates Peloton is moving away from portraying its products as luxury home items and toward versatile fitness use in professional or shared spaces.
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