Heated Rivalry (Crave/HBO-Max)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:https://deadline.com/2026/02/why-did-heated-rivalry-strikes-a-chord-tv-streaming-1236710553/

Why is Hollywood so stupid? The show is popular because it’s well-acted, well-produced, and has a relatable story. It’s not the sex, nor is it the fast pace. It’s a happy story in an overall sad era, and people are looking for happiness right now. How are they missing this?

+1. I can go to Pornhub at anytime and see a fast paced sex story with no plot and bad acting. This is not that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:https://deadline.com/2026/02/why-did-heated-rivalry-strikes-a-chord-tv-streaming-1236710553/

Why is Hollywood so stupid? The show is popular because it’s well-acted, well-produced, and has a relatable story. It’s not the sex, nor is it the fast pace. It’s a happy story in an overall sad era, and people are looking for happiness right now. How are they missing this?

I disagree. This show would never have gotten famous without the sex and nudity. The entire show is built around sex as the tool that building the emotional connection. It is a smutty romance - both in terms of the author and director's view on what they were creating. There are tons of sexless well acted love stories that haven't had the success this has.

And it doesn't have a relatable story at all. It is two rich and famous professional athletes in a multi year situationship who barely communicate outide of occasionally meeting up for sex..and then in true Harlequin romance style, they fall in love and live happily ever after. That is what people like - it takes them outside their own life into a fantasy - that is why porn and romance novels / movies sell well.

The acting, directing, lighting, photography - yes all great. But without the sex and nudity, this would have stayed another Canadian Crave production.

[Anonymous]

In the Economist yesterday.

“How a Canadian hockey drama inflamed the hearts of viewers.”

https://www.economist.com/culture/2026/02/05/the-hit-tv-show-that-no-one-saw-coming

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:https://deadline.com/2026/02/why-did-heated-rivalry-strikes-a-chord-tv-streaming-1236710553/

Why is Hollywood so stupid? The show is popular because it’s well-acted, well-produced, and has a relatable story. It’s not the sex, nor is it the fast pace. It’s a happy story in an overall sad era, and people are looking for happiness right now. How are they missing this?

if you start with "gay hockey romance" then we know you just don't get it

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://deadline.com/2026/02/why-did-heated-rivalry-strikes-a-chord-tv-streaming-1236710553/

Why is Hollywood so stupid? The show is popular because it’s well-acted, well-produced, and has a relatable story. It’s not the sex, nor is it the fast pace. It’s a happy story in an overall sad era, and people are looking for happiness right now. How are they missing this?

I disagree. This show would never have gotten famous without the sex and nudity. The entire show is built around sex as the tool that building the emotional connection. It is a smutty romance - both in terms of the author and director's view on what they were creating. There are tons of sexless well acted love stories that haven't had the success this has.

And it doesn't have a relatable story at all. It is two rich and famous professional athletes in a multi year situationship who barely communicate outide of occasionally meeting up for sex..and then in true Harlequin romance style, they fall in love and live happily ever after. That is what people like - it takes them outside their own life into a fantasy - that is why porn and romance novels / movies sell well.

The acting, directing, lighting, photography - yes all great. But without the sex and nudity, this would have stayed another Canadian Crave production.

nah. I reluctantly watched because I just don't love onscreen sex scenes - I think they're often used as a lazy tool. Even with way less explicit sex, Heated Rivalry wins with its build up of yearning, sensuality and eventually love. Schitt's Creek knocked it out of the park without sex. Oh Canada, oh Canada.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://deadline.com/2026/02/why-did-heated-rivalry-strikes-a-chord-tv-streaming-1236710553/

Why is Hollywood so stupid? The show is popular because it’s well-acted, well-produced, and has a relatable story. It’s not the sex, nor is it the fast pace. It’s a happy story in an overall sad era, and people are looking for happiness right now. How are they missing this?

I disagree. This show would never have gotten famous without the sex and nudity. The entire show is built around sex as the tool that building the emotional connection. It is a smutty romance - both in terms of the author and director's view on what they were creating. There are tons of sexless well acted love stories that haven't had the success this has.

And it doesn't have a relatable story at all. It is two rich and famous professional athletes in a multi year situationship who barely communicate outide of occasionally meeting up for sex..and then in true Harlequin romance style, they fall in love and live happily ever after. That is what people like - it takes them outside their own life into a fantasy - that is why porn and romance novels / movies sell well.

The acting, directing, lighting, photography - yes all great. But without the sex and nudity, this would have stayed another Canadian Crave production.

I disagree. There are plenty of shows with sex and nudity that are boring and unwatchable. As for relatability— many people have relationships just like this— meeting for sex but struggling to take it to the next level. What hooked me was the way the story was told.

[Anonymous]

This show would never have been made at all without the sex and nudity. It was written as hockey smut and picked up by the hockey smut erotica readers. They were the foundation of the fan base that even led to it being popular enough to be adapted. There is a lot more graphic detail about sex in the book but it is central to the story. If this had been a story of two hockey players falling in love (with no sex scenes or nudity) it would never have been made. Harlequin romance novels and hockey smut are not that chaste.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In the Economist yesterday.

“How a Canadian hockey drama inflamed the hearts of viewers.”

https://www.economist.com/culture/2026/02/05/the-hit-tv-show-that-no-one-saw-coming

According to the Economist, “as of February 2026, the Crave/HBO Max series Heated Rivalry has peaked as the second-most "in-demand" TV show in the world.”

Wow.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://deadline.com/2026/02/why-did-heated-rivalry-strikes-a-chord-tv-streaming-1236710553/

Why is Hollywood so stupid? The show is popular because it’s well-acted, well-produced, and has a relatable story. It’s not the sex, nor is it the fast pace. It’s a happy story in an overall sad era, and people are looking for happiness right now. How are they missing this?

I disagree. This show would never have gotten famous without the sex and nudity. The entire show is built around sex as the tool that building the emotional connection. It is a smutty romance - both in terms of the author and director's view on what they were creating. There are tons of sexless well acted love stories that haven't had the success this has.

And it doesn't have a relatable story at all. It is two rich and famous professional athletes in a multi year situationship who barely communicate outide of occasionally meeting up for sex..and then in true Harlequin romance style, they fall in love and live happily ever after. That is what people like - it takes them outside their own life into a fantasy - that is why porn and romance novels / movies sell well.

The acting, directing, lighting, photography - yes all great. But without the sex and nudity, this would have stayed another Canadian Crave production.

I disagree. There are plenty of shows with sex and nudity that are boring and unwatchable. As for relatability— many people have relationships just like this— meeting for sex but struggling to take it to the next level. What hooked me was the way the story was told.

agree

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In the Economist yesterday.

“How a Canadian hockey drama inflamed the hearts of viewers.”

https://www.economist.com/culture/2026/02/05/the-hit-tv-show-that-no-one-saw-coming

According to the Economist, “as of February 2026, the Crave/HBO Max series Heated Rivalry has peaked as the second-most "in-demand" TV show in the world.”

Wow.

Those streaming number don’t factor in all the people who are downloading and sharing the show illegally because it isn’t available in their country. Eg, some of my family and friends in Asia and Europe, where it is just now starting to air. Obviously it’s also not streaming in places like Russia, Malaysia, the Middle East…yet people there are finding ways to watch it. Counting those viewers, it’s likely the #1 most streamed show in the world!

👏👏👏

[Anonymous]

I honestly don’t care how the show would’ve been received (or not) if it didn’t have smut. The fact is, it has smut and we like it. And that’s not something women need to apologize, justify, or explain. Newsflash: women like sex. Many women even watch porn. Gasp! Get over it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I honestly don’t care how the show would’ve been received (or not) if it didn’t have smut. The fact is, it has smut and we like it. And that’s not something women need to apologize, justify, or explain. Newsflash: women like sex. Many women even watch porn. Gasp! Get over it.

Exactly. Not sure why posters are trying to insist the sex wasn’t a big part of what made it popular, or that it wasn’t central to the show, or that it isn’t smutty. It is all of the above and nothing wrong with that.

Tierney did an interview where he talked about how the show was written around sex as the sex was used for communication, to build intimacy, to show vulnerability / honesty and was the core of the relationship between the two leads. People who don’t get why the sex was needed in the show and so central to it missed out on 90% of the show!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I honestly don’t care how the show would’ve been received (or not) if it didn’t have smut. The fact is, it has smut and we like it. And that’s not something women need to apologize, justify, or explain. Newsflash: women like sex. Many women even watch porn. Gasp! Get over it.

Exactly. Not sure why posters are trying to insist the sex wasn’t a big part of what made it popular, or that it wasn’t central to the show, or that it isn’t smutty. It is all of the above and nothing wrong with that.

Tierney did an interview where he talked about how the show was written around sex as the sex was used for communication, to build intimacy, to show vulnerability / honesty and was the core of the relationship between the two leads. People who don’t get why the sex was needed in the show and so central to it missed out on 90% of the show!

I think it’s because there are so many people reducing the draw to JUST sex/smut.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I honestly don’t care how the show would’ve been received (or not) if it didn’t have smut. The fact is, it has smut and we like it. And that’s not something women need to apologize, justify, or explain. Newsflash: women like sex. Many women even watch porn. Gasp! Get over it.

Exactly. Not sure why posters are trying to insist the sex wasn’t a big part of what made it popular, or that it wasn’t central to the show, or that it isn’t smutty. It is all of the above and nothing wrong with that.

Tierney did an interview where he talked about how the show was written around sex as the sex was used for communication, to build intimacy, to show vulnerability / honesty and was the core of the relationship between the two leads. People who don’t get why the sex was needed in the show and so central to it missed out on 90% of the show!

I think it’s because there are so many people reducing the draw to JUST sex/smut.

Yes, absolutely. I’m the first PP quoted who said I honestly don’t care and it’s ok for women to like smut. I like the smut AND I like the intimacy AND the chemistry AND the yearning…it’s just a good show. And if some people only watched it for the smut, that’s ok, too. Because we’re allowed to do that without having to explain it. Liking smut is not a moral failing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I honestly don’t care how the show would’ve been received (or not) if it didn’t have smut. The fact is, it has smut and we like it. And that’s not something women need to apologize, justify, or explain. Newsflash: women like sex. Many women even watch porn. Gasp! Get over it.

Exactly. Not sure why posters are trying to insist the sex wasn’t a big part of what made it popular, or that it wasn’t central to the show, or that it isn’t smutty. It is all of the above and nothing wrong with that.

Tierney did an interview where he talked about how the show was written around sex as the sex was used for communication, to build intimacy, to show vulnerability / honesty and was the core of the relationship between the two leads. People who don’t get why the sex was needed in the show and so central to it missed out on 90% of the show!

I think it’s because there are so many people reducing the draw to JUST sex/smut.

+1. I’m the one who linked the deadline article. It sounded to me like Hollywood execs think what people want is smutty shows where people get it on in the first 5 min. Of course women like sex— but that’s not what has turned this show into a global phenomenon?? As PP said, most of us can access porn any time we want. Why don’t need to pay HBO for it. Good luck thinking that making a show with lots of sex but with a bad script/direction and poor acting is going to get the same result.