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Heritage minister says hockey romance ‘Heated Rivalry’ is a Cancon triumph
The series features 100% Canadian content and broke viewership records for Crave Originals, receiving $3.5 million in federal support and highlighting bilingual culture and LGBTQ themes.
- On Jan. 15, 2026, Culture Minister Marc Miller praised the Crave original Heated Rivalry as a Cancon triumph, saying `It seems to have gained immense popularity` and noted its record debut viewership.
- After multiple passings by potential backers, the Crave original was adapted from Rachel Reid's novels, featuring Jacob Tierney and receiving three and a half million dollars plus tax credits, Dark Slope Studios said.
- Shot mainly in Toronto and Hamilton, the show features a score by Quebec's Peter Peter and stars Hudson Williams, Ilya Rozanov and Sophie Nélisse in a plot with steamy hockey rival scenes.
- In Montreal, the small Joie de Livres bookstore has sold out sixty tickets for Sunday screenings, already booked through February, while Ottawa Tourism updated its bio following the second season renewal.
- Earlier this week, Miller said `It is racy` and the series resonates with people in the LGBTQ community while showcasing Canadian hockey pride, according to Miller.
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'Heated Rivalry,' the show that's shaking up hockey culture in Canada
The series by Canadian director Jacob Tierney, which centers on a romance between two gay athletes, challenges the hyper-masculine foundations of hockey, a sport of which no National Hockey League (NHL) player has yet dared to come out. The show is currently streaming on HBO Max in the United States.
·Paris, France
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Word on the Street: Hockey's 'Heated Rivalry' effect
Like everyone else who has watched the Canadian television sports romance, “Heated Rivalry,” Ali Wunderman's life has since been turned upside down. Has that interest moved to the sport at the show's center?
·San Francisco, United States
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Winnipeg Free Press+27 Reposted by 27 other sources
Heritage minister says hockey romance 'Heated Rivalry' is a Cancon triumph
Breaking News, Sports, Manitoba, Canada
·Winnipeg, Canada
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Total News Sources38
Leaning Left23Leaning Right0Center4Last UpdatedBias Distribution85% Left
Bias Distribution
- 85% of the sources lean Left
85% Left
L 85%
15%
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