GoKawiilCrave's hockey romance 'Heated Rivalry' drove most 2025 sign-ups, took 18 months to make
Heated Rivalry, a Crave original based on Rachel Reid's novels about romances between hockey players, debuted in November 2025 and became the streamer's top-performing original series, generating more subscriber sign-ups than any other title that year. The show also performed strongly internationally through HBO Max in the U.S., where each episode had been streamed more than 10 million times by February 2026. Producers and network executives at Crave and parent company Bell Media say they worked intensively to bring the adaptation from book to screen in roughly 18 months.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
The show's performance suggests niche romance IP, particularly LGBTQ-focused stories, can drive measurable subscriber growth for mid-sized streamers competing against larger global platforms. Bell Media's involvement and the rapid production timeline indicate a push to capitalize quickly on proven fan bases from book series rather than original concepts, which could shape future commissioning decisions at Crave.
- Heated Rivalry became Crave's best sign-up driver in 2025.
- Each episode surpassed 10 million streams on HBO Max in the U.S. by February 2026.
- The series was adapted from novel to screen in about 18 months with backing from Bell Media leadership.
Heated Rivalry novel by Rachel Reid — Before it became Crave's breakout hit, Heated Rivalry started as a beloved romance novel by Rachel Reid. Reading the source material is a great way to dive deeper into the hockey romance that inspired the show, with all the character nuance that made fans fall in love in the first place.
See Heated Rivalry novel by Rachel Reid on Amazon → Affiliate link — we may earn a commission on purchases, at no extra cost to you. Product picked by AI based on this article; it is not a tested recommendation.Source: fastcompany.com, 2026-10-01
Published there as: “Heated Rivalry was an overnight hit. Its creators and network worked overtime to make that happen”
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