Peloton races into the video game biz as corona-conomy winners lose momentum

Grand Theft Spin Bike... Doesn't roll off the tongue. Peloton is getting into gaming. The spin icon is launching an in-app video game called "Lanebreak" (ETA: early 2022). So far, it's looking like a car wheel on a Guitar Hero chord. The rhythm-based game features a personal avatar, which you can move through tracks and obstacles to score rewards. Think: notching up your resistance to the tune of "Eye of the Tiger," or challenging capspin_america on Level 4.

Turn down the torque... Corona-conomy thrivers are starting to sweat. Netflix reported yesterday that it added 1.5M paid subscribers last quarter — less than the 4M it added in the previous quarter, and waaay less than the 16M it added in the first quarter of 2020 (aka: peak lockdown). Pandemic-thriver Peloton could see a similar slowdown.

• Peloton saw explosive growth mid-pandemic, as its $2K spin bikes flew off shelves. That could end now that Soul Cycle studios and gyms are back with IRL sweating.
• Not just Equinox: The at-home competition is fierce for both Peloton and Netflix, as rivals multiplied and grew during the pandemic.
• A few Peloton competitors: Mirror, Tempo, Zwift, Echelon, and iFit, which is reportedly eyeing an IPO. Netflix competitors: anything that ends with "+."