What Peloton’s Cody Rigsby’s Popularity On ‘Dancing With The Stars’ Means For The Creator Economy

Before Dancing With The Stars (’DWTS’), Cody Rigsby might not have been a household name. But to those within the Peloton community, he has always been a rockstar.

In its 30th season, ‘DWTS’ features an olympian, Bravo housewife, and even a female pop star or two. But it’s Rigsby’s domination in social media engagement and audience voting that shows how the Creator Economy — the class of businesses built by over 50 million independent content creators, curators, and community builders — is transforming the cultural landscape. Here are three ways that Rigsby’s popularity on ‘DWTS’ highlights the power of the burgeoning Creator Economy.

Communities Support Creators

Rigsby’s #BooCrew Peloton tag has 115,000 members + a Facebook group with the same name of over 55,000 members. His classes are famous for his humorous opinions on topics ranging from kitten heels to his favorite summer drink, fun and flouncy. Peloton users continue to take Rigsby’s classes because it brings a light-heartedness to their day.

Caitlin Wilson, a #BooCrew member and #PelotonMom, is passionate abut the impact Rigsby’s has had on her life, “Since 2015, I have been riding on my bike or running on the tread every day alongside my #BooCrew family. There is a community, on and off the bike, who are invited to share some of their most vulnerable moments in life. Rigsby has helped shift the narrative to a more positive one with no judgment and only love. He isn’t physically with us in our basements or family rooms while we ride, yet lives are changed forever through a small screen.”

Rigsby’s popularity on the Peloton platform highlights how when creators embrace their authentic selves and provide engaging content to their community, it lends itself to connection and content retention. His Peloton community shows up every Monday to vote on ‘DWTS’ to see him win because he makes them part of his inclusive community. “Between Cody’s love for skinny jeans, his contagious smile, or his kinetic energy on that Peloton, I don’t know what I love most”, shares Kristina Davenport member of Boo Crew and Hardcore On The Floor Facebook Groups. “I will be cheering and voting for him every step of the way on ‘DWTS.’

Creators Will Continue To Diversify Content Platforms

The Creator Economy is all about owning your content and monetizing it through various channels. Rigsby exemplifies this by not only being a Peloton instructor but also joining ‘DWTS’- a show with an average of 5 million viewers weekly. By expanding beyond your primary channel it allows for more visibility and opportunities for creators and community builders. And in doing so, creators like Rigsby can find new revenue streams and sponsorships — as he does Instagram sponsored ads for brands like Harry’s, Colgate, and many more.

Online Culture Is Merging With Popular Culture

For those that identify as “very online” there are daily trending Twitter topics and specialized GIFs and memes to discuss, but now those insider tropes are being brought to the masses. Rigsby exemplifies this with his Peloton community cues like when Britney Spears comes on during his rides, and his Peloton audience knows what comes next; will now be brought to the larger ‘DWTS’ audience on the show’s, Britney Night. Ultimately when a subset of internet niche culture is now being shared to a much broader audience and embraced, it shows how creators are making an imprint as the new celebrity.

The Creator Economy is only on the rise. When creators dominate one platform like TikTok’s Addison Rae, who is now a movie star with the Netflix hit, ‘He’s All That,’ and Rigsby, it shows the power creators have to keep building and monetizing audiences across all platforms through engaging and authentic content.