In a recent episode of "This Past Weekend," UFC President Dana White and comedian Theo Von discussed the increasing tendency of corporate partners to distance themselves from controversial figures and influence their political speech.
The conversation was sparked by allegations that Peloton, the exercise equipment company, withdrew its advertisements from a podcast featuring independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Von shared that after hosting Kennedy on his podcast, several companies contacted his team to express their disapproval. "We had a couple companies call after that and say ... stuff about [Kennedy]. 'We're not advertising on this episode. You gotta take the episode down,'" Von revealed.
White was taken aback by this information, questioning, "What's wrong with him?" referring to Kennedy. Von responded with a simple "Nothing," a sentiment that White echoed, adding, "Guy's f***ing brilliant. ... Smart f***ing guy." The two agreed that Kennedy's pragmatic approach as a Democrat has earned him the disdain of certain groups.
When White inquired about the advertiser that withdrew its support following the Kennedy interview, Von initially couldn't remember. However, later in the conversation, he was informed off-camera that the advertiser was allegedly Peloton.
White reacted strongly to this revelation, expressing his disbelief and frustration. "So Peloton, what do they sell, f***ing stationary bikes? ... Peloton sells stationary bikes and they got a problem with Robert f***ing Kennedy. F*** you, Peloton," White exclaimed.
Upon seeing a picture of Peloton's CEO, Barry McCarthy, White remarked, "Oh yeah. Oh f***ing yeah. Barry McCarthy looks like guy 100%. He looks like a d*****bag." Von added his own humorous observation, saying, "He looks like a guy who eats a little of his own skin at a time."
White then declared his intention to remove Peloton equipment from his gyms, a decision that comes at a challenging time for the company. Peloton has been grappling with financial difficulties, reporting a net loss of $159.3 million for the quarter ending September 30. The company's struggles continued into 2022, with a loss of $408.5 million and the dismissal of thousands of employees. Despite a partnership with Lululemon, Peloton's stock price has yet to recover from a significant drop in August.
White also shared his own experience with corporate pressure following his endorsement of Donald Trump in 2016. "One of our big sponsors called and said, 'Take that down.' Know what I said? 'Go f*** yourself. You vote for whoever you wanna vote for and I'll vote for whoever I want to vote for.' That's how this works," White recounted.
He suggested that such politically motivated pressure campaigns will persist unless more individuals assert their rights. White proposed seeking partnerships with value-aligned companies as a potential solution. "You have to look deep into who they are and who's running the company, who's making the decisions," he advised.
In a successful partnership, he noted, "You help build their business. They help build yours. ... It should be a great relationship, and it should be a good experience for everybody involved."
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