diff --git a/yt_dlp/downloader/bunnycdn.py b/yt_dlp/downloader/bunnycdn.py
index e95fe34a3..150fdd6bc 100644
--- a/yt_dlp/downloader/bunnycdn.py
+++ b/yt_dlp/downloader/bunnycdn.py
@@ -20,51 +20,32 @@ def real_download(self, filename, info_dict):
 
         fd = HlsFD(self.ydl, self.params)
 
-        success = download_complete = False
-        ping_lock = threading.Lock()
+        stop_event = threading.Event()
+        ping_thread = threading.Thread(target=self.ping_thread, args=(stop_event,), kwargs=info_dict['_bunnycdn_ping_data'])
+        ping_thread.start()
 
-        timer = None
-        current_time = 0
+        try:
+            return fd.real_download(filename, info_dict)
+        finally:
+            stop_event.set()
 
-        ping_url = info_dict['_bunnycdn_ping_data']['url']
-        headers = info_dict['_bunnycdn_ping_data']['headers']
-        secret = info_dict['_bunnycdn_ping_data']['secret']
-        context_id = info_dict['_bunnycdn_ping_data']['context_id']
+
+    def ping_thread(self, stop_event, url, headers, secret, context_id):
         # Site sends ping every 4 seconds, but this throttles the download. Pinging every 2 seconds seems to work.
         ping_interval = 2
+        # Hard coded resolution as it doesn't seem to matter
+        res = 1080
+        paused = 'false'
+        current_time = 0
+
+        while not stop_event.wait(ping_interval):
+            current_time += ping_interval
 
-        def send_ping():
-            nonlocal timer, current_time
             time = current_time + round(random.random(), 6)
-            # Hard coded resolution as it doesn't seem to matter
-            res = 1080
-            paused = 'false'
             md5_hash = hashlib.md5(f'{secret}_{context_id}_{time}_{paused}_{res}'.encode()).hexdigest()
-
-            request = Request(
-                f'{ping_url}?hash={md5_hash}&time={time}&paused={paused}&resolution={res}',
-                headers=headers)
+            ping_url = f'{url}?hash={md5_hash}&time={time}&paused={paused}&resolution={res}'
 
             try:
-                self.ydl.urlopen(request).read()
+                self.ydl.urlopen(Request(ping_url, headers=headers)).read()
             except network_exceptions as e:
                 self.to_screen(f'[{self.FD_NAME}] Ping failed: {e}')
-
-            with ping_lock:
-                if not download_complete:
-                    current_time += ping_interval
-                    timer = threading.Timer(ping_interval, send_ping)
-                    timer.start()
-
-        # Start ping loop
-        self.to_screen(f'[{self.FD_NAME}] Starting pings with {ping_interval} second interval...')
-        try:
-            send_ping()
-            success = fd.real_download(filename, info_dict)
-        finally:
-            with ping_lock:
-                if timer:
-                    timer.cancel()
-                download_complete = True
-
-        return success