The Canadian TV show Heated Rivalry recently went viral and garnered a worldwide audience far beyond its domestic market. Based on the popular novel by Rachel Reid, the series follows the secret romance between two professional hockey players, Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov, in a fictitious league.
The queer hockey romance was reported as the most watched original series on Crave and one of the top-rated non-animated series on HBO Max.
The show captivated audiences with steamy sex scenes, but similar to predecessors like Schitt’s Creek, it’s being touted as a Canadian cultural export and has people talking about the intersection of culture, sports and Canadian identity.
