Heated Rivalry is the latest overnight TV success, drawing in crowds with its depiction of a major league hockey romance and the turmoil that comes with being a queer athlete. The story of two professional hockey players falling in love while competing on rival teams has created a huge impact on audiences. Growing up as a queer athlete, I witnessed and experienced homophobic rhetoric that is rampant in sports, and believe that representation of queer athletes is essential in making steps toward increased societal acceptance and advocacy. Whether it’s allowing queer athletes to feel comfortable living in their true identities or uplifting marginalized communities through unrivaled support, Heated Rivalry has produced an undeniable impact on society.
One of the lesser-discussed impacts of this show is the increase in engagement and streams that artists have experienced by being featured on the soundtrack. According to data from Spotify, Canadian artists Dumas and Feist saw an increase of over 1500 percent in streaming of songs featured in the series. Heated Rivalry has exposed an entirely new demographic to these underground Canadian artists. However, the show has also given some groups a second wind.
“All The Things She Said” by t.A.T.u was released in 2002 and quickly rose in popularity. This chart-topper landed the Russian pop duo at #1 on the U.S Billboard Dance Club Songs chart and allowed them to compete as the Russian representatives for Eurovision in 2003. The inclusion of t.A.T.u’s hit song during such a vital scene in the show undoubtedly re-ignited the love for this track. Over 1.6 million posts on TikTok have used excerpts from the song, cementing “All The Things She Said” as one of the most impactful songs from the Heated Rivalry soundtrack.
Additional reports note that the featured artist, Wolf Parade, experienced a 2650% increase in streams in late December. At the time of reporting, their hit song “I’ll Believe in Anything” amassed 24 million streams on Spotify. Currently, the song has approximately 32 million streams, a number which is expected to continue increasing throughout the following months.
Wolf Parade’s monthly listeners on Spotify were recorded at 200,000 the day after their song was used in the fifth episode of Heated Rivalry. As of January 22nd, just over a month later, this has increased to 1.6 million monthly listeners. Following the success of their song, Wolf Parade has announced a national tour across Canada. By featuring songs from underground Canadian and queer artists, Heated Rivalry once again gives back to the people and communities it hopes to honor.
Heated Rivalry has proven to be the love story audiences craved, the multifaceted representation that society needed, and a deserving distraction from everyday life. The show’s legacy and commitment to raw, real, passionate storylines will continue to serve and inspire queer athletes and communities for generations to come. Although season two isn’t set to premiere on screens until 2027, hockey games run most months of the year. Viewers can uphold Heated Rivalry’s legacy by supporting local hockey teams and queer communities.
Heated Rivalry is currently streaming on HBO Max, and the book series by Rachel Reid is available online and at participating bookstores.
