The Sexy, Steamy Canadian Public Funding System Behind Heated Rivalry
The cultural phenomenon might not have been possible without the country’s taxpayers.
For many Americans, Canada’s publicly funded health-care system has long been a source of envy and fascination. But lately, millions of US consumers have been basking in the enriching benefits of another, quasi-socialized aspect of Canadian life—namely, its publicly funded entertainment system.
Heated Rivalry, the steamy Canadian series about a pair of pro hockey hunks who become romantically entangled, premiered late last year on the streaming service Crave in Canada and on HBO Max in the US. In the months since, the show has become a cultural phenomenon on both sides of the border, racking up surprisingly good ratings for a modestly budgeted drama, inspiring a remarkable amount of thirsty fandom on social media and transforming several previously unknown cast members into celebrities. “It has outstretched our expectations both in terms of viewership and financial results,” says Sean Cohan, president of Bell Media Inc., the Toronto company that owns Crave. (Bell Media owns BNN Bloomberg Television, which has a content partnership with Bloomberg LP.)