The explosive popularity of the gay hockey TV drama Heated Rivalry has revealed a deep desire among women for sex and romance without violence or hierarchy, according to fans and commentators. The show, adapted from Rachel Reid's novel and streamed by Crave, follows the secret relationship between two closeted professional hockey players, Shane and Ilya, over a decade.
Fans range from straight women to queer women, young and old, across North America and beyond. Mary, a 64-year-old non-profit executive from Toronto, initially dismissed the series after her son warned her off. Yet after watching, she admitted rewatching it multiple times, calling it 'super sexy' and praising the 'huge amount of consent'. She said: 'I'd really like to get that back in my life – that feeling of “I can’t keep my hands off you.”'
Lillian King, a 30-year-old writer for NPR's Wait Wait … Don’t Tell Me, described herself as 'sex negative' and squeamish about onscreen intimacy. However, she 'inhaled the first three episodes' after discovering the show featured a song by Wolf Parade. She reflected: 'There was a moment where I was like, “Wait, why is this hot?” Well, of course it’s hot. If I find one hot guy attractive, when there’s two of them it’s just like, “Oh, sick.”'
The fervent fandom suggests that for many women, the appeal lies in sex and romance without misogyny or gendered hierarchy. According to HBO figures reported by the New York Times, the audience has become increasingly female. TikTok and Instagram are filled with videos of women reacting emotionally to key scenes, and lesbian and women's sports bars host marathon screenings.
