At its upfronts presentation final June, Canadian streaming service Crave touted quite a lot of upcoming partnerships and collection with Canadian royalty. It was partnering with Fremantle on its revival of “Match Recreation” hosted by Martin Quick. It introduced “Slo Pitch,” the primary challenge in a co-development take care of Elliott Web page’s Pageboy Productions. And it additionally launched interview collection “Tom Inexperienced’s Humorous Farm” that includes comedian Tom Inexperienced.
Crave was additionally enthusiastic about one other new collection for which it had simply confirmed a six-episode order: a steamy romance about hockey stars from EP Jacob Tierney known as “Heated Rivalry.”
On the time, Justin Stockman, VP of Content material Improvement and Programming at Crave’s mother or father firm Bell Media, thought the present had promise. The phrases “homosexual” and “hockey” don’t usually go collectively, so he knew it could possibly be “a bit bit spicy” and would get individuals speaking. Others had been uncertain once they heard the elevator pitch: hockey gained’t promote outdoors of Canada, they mentioned, and a queer love story would make it area of interest. Stockman and the Crave staff had been undeterred.
“When a present is authentically itself and the characters really feel actually true and it delivers precisely what it’s alleged to ship, all these issues that really feel like limitations don’t develop into vital,” Stockman advised IndieWire. “So we’ve actually tried to lean into the authenticity. If it feels area of interest, make it extra area of interest, make it so true to that area of interest that everybody will truly relate to it.”
Somewhat over six months later, “Heated Rivalry” is by far the most important Crave Unique up to now, and is probably on the rostrum for one of many greatest Canadian dramas ever. The present was massive in its native Canada, nevertheless it actually took off with viewers within the U.S. watching on HBO Maxeven when nearly all of these viewers had by no means heard of a “Crave Unique.”
Since its premiere on each Crave and HBO Max late in 2025, the collection is now nearing 11.5 million U.S. viewers. The present turned a water cooler sensation week after week, with the viewers for the finale 4 instances bigger than the premiere, and it’s on tempo to be the #1 acquired collection in HBO Max historical past.
“I might be disingenuous to say that I might have predicted the influence that this present had,” mentioned Jason Butler, SVP of World Content material Technique & Planning at HBO Max. “What’s so particular about what Jacob has created is it’s uncommon to see this diploma and stage of on-screen illustration that’s showcasing the numerous completely different aspects of the human situation: love, intercourse, ardour, intimacy, heartbreak, failure, success, all advised by this distinctive lens of two male athletes falling in love. It’s these form of thematic underpinnings of the present which are actually resonating with audiences around the globe.”
HBO Max touchdown “Heated Rivalry” was fortuitous. It’s uncommon for HBO Max to be buying exhibits of its personal somewhat than producing them in-house, and Butler mentioned what’s been exceptional in regards to the progress of “Heated Rivalry” is that the present has greater than doubled in viewership since after its premiere aired.
Butler particularly was chargeable for discovering the present and bringing it to HBO chief Casey Bloys, and the sensation was not simply that it made sense creatively, but in addition strategically as a premium present that match the HBO model. HBO Max has pushed the collection out not simply within the U.S. but in addition Australia and elements of EMEA and LATAM.
“Individuals had been having viewing events, and buzz was rising and compounding every week on social,” Butler mentioned. “It created this very fan-driven, viewer-driven momentum that we not often see today, with the present beginning on a sure stage and rising so organically throughout the run of it present after which past the run of the present.”
That’s an unbelievable platform for “Heated Rivalry” contemplating Crave itself is simply out there in Canada. By way of SVOD streamers for Canada, it’s in fourth place behind Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Disney+, and it maybe coincidentally depends closely on a longstanding licensing association to distribute HBO and HBO Max content material to the Canadian market, the place HBO Max itself is unavailable.
But it surely additionally has 1000’s of hours of authentic programming not from HBO, a number of of which have damaged out elsewhere. The sitcom “Letterkenny,” which was additionally co-created by Tierney and Jared Keeso, ran for 12 seasons by way of Crave and is obtainable for streaming within the U.S. on Hulu. Different Canadian collection Bell Media and CTV have licensed overseas embrace Keeso’s hockey comedy “Shoresy” and the medical drama “Sullivan’s Crossing.”
“Heated Rivalry” was the primary one licensed by HBO Max, regardless of the prior pipeline that basically solely flowed up north. Crave final yr acquired a majority stake in worldwide distributor Sphere Abacus, which has been ramping up gross sales of its originals across the globe.
And because of the success of “Heated Rivalry,” Crave has seen a 26 p.c improve in subscribers since final yr, including over 1,000,000 subs to succeed in 4.6 million in what’s a small Canadian market. Realizing that its market now has a extra world attain, Crave’s purpose is to create one thing larger, whereas nonetheless catering to an underserved Canadian viewers.
“We’re now taking a look at what are going to be these nice concepts that, sure, serve that want for Canadian eyes to see them however that may promote all around the globe and present that Canadian creatives are a few of the greatest on the earth, and we are able to make actually good exhibits too,” Stockman mentioned.
Although Toronto and Vancouver and elsewhere are rising as manufacturing hubs, Crave’s problem has been cultivating Canadian expertise and getting them to remain there. The budgets for many Canadian initiatives historically haven’t been on the crucial stage, and it may be gradual when Crave is attempting to co-finance a challenge with a Hollywood studio. So within the case of “Heated Rivalry” and others, the streamer is taking over extra threat and shouldering that financing burden itself to maneuver a bit faster.
Now that Crave’s pockets are deepening, so too is the expertise pool. It just lately signed a take care of Seth Rogen’s Level Gray on a to-be-announced challenge, and after turning him right into a star, Crave is reuniting with “Heated Rivalry” actor Hudson Williams for a spooky thriller collection known as “Yaga” that additionally stars Carrie-Anne Moss.
Within the quick time period at the very least, Crave will nonetheless solely be out there in Canada, however the success of “Heated Rivalry” has put extra eyes on what the streamer is placing out and opening a window for Crave to be extra aggressive in getting its exhibits out to the world.
And it gained’t let its Canadian-ness get in the way in which of discovering one other world smash.
“We actually noticed that there was a enterprise alternative right here the place Canada has a rising picture on the world stage,” Stockman mentioned. “We’ve obtained nice creatives, and Canadians wish to see themselves on TVand that’s turning into tougher. So that could be a enterprise alternative. Let’s not have a look at it as an obligation; let’s have a look at it as a progress plan.”