If you’ve been hearing more people talking about hockey lately, it’s not entirely because of the upcoming Winter Olympics. Heated Rivalry, a streaming series about the romance between two gay hockey players, has officially taken pop culture by storm.
Since premiering on HBO Max and Crave on November 28, 2025, the show (based on a series of novels) has proven a hit with audiences around the world. As a result, it has spawned its own fierce fandom, propelling its lead actors to almost-instant celebrity and queer icon status.
To learn more about the Heated Rivalry phenomenon and what it means for marketers, we used our social listening and analytics solution to dive into the discussion. Here’s what the data revealed.
Note: This social listening analysis examines data from more than two dozen traditional, digital, and social media sources, including X, Reddit, Pinterest, Bluesky, YouTube, and Instagram. To learn more about the technology behind Meltwater and see how you can get data-rich insights tailored to your brand, request a demo using the form at the end of this blog.
How Did Heated Rivalry Become a Hit?
Heated Rivalry caught fire thanks to some good, old-fashioned social media virality. Our analysis found that Heated Rivalry’s two-episode premiere on November 28 generated about 19,000 mentions and 3.6 million engagement actions, but the buzz around it grew significantly with each episode as the series went on.
In particular, the fourth episode “Rose” (no spoilers!) marked a turning point in the show’s story and its popularity. On the episode’s December 12 airdate, Heated Rivalry generated about 36,000 mentions and 6.4 million engagement actions, a nearly 80% bump each from the premiere.
That surge in interest culminated in the December 26 season finale, which generated nearly 60,000 mentions and 13.7 million engagement actions, up about 216% and 280% respectively from the premiere. And perhaps most impressively, Heated Rivalry mentions have continued on at a healthy pace, a testament to its unprecedented, organic popularity.
Overall, from November 28, 2025, to January 13, 2026, Heated Rivalry generated about 722,000 mentions, overwhelmingly on social channels. And it’s exactly that social media-driven hype that sustained conversation around the show in the weeks after its finale and allowed for even more organic discovery.
For example, the January 7 and January 11 spikes in mentions seen in the chart above were thanks to the Heated Rivalry stars’ appearances at the 32nd Actor Awards and the Golden Globes. Both their red carpet and on-stage moments gave fans more content to discuss (and thirst over) while solidifying their statuses as newly minted stars.
By contrast, news coverage was limited, accounting for only about 3% of mentions and mostly appearing days after the finale. As the chart above shows, news media are just now catching up to Heated Rivalry’s popularity, and extending it in the process. Now, countless news articles with titles like “9 reasons everyone’s still talking about ‘Heated Rivalry’” and “‘Heated Rivalry’ Is Gay Culture’s Next Frontier” are widening the show’s reach beyond solely social-first audiences.
What Was the Sentiment Around Heated Rivalry? A Platform-by-Platform Look
When it comes to the sentiment around Heated Rivalry, the temperature of discussions varied from platform to platform.
Visual and creator-led platforms skewed more positive. For example, Instagram showed the highest positivity, with ~42% positive mentions (2.5K out of 6K) focused on the steamy relationship plot points as well as images of the characters themselves. YouTube leaned moderately positive as well, with ~32% positive mentions (3.5K out of 11K), often tied to reaction videos and episode discussions.
By contrast, more discussion-heavy platforms displayed greater negativity. On X, negative sentiment was particularly pronounced, with ~32% of mentions (130K out of 412K) being negative. Criticism on the platform ranged from moral and cultural backlash to critiques of the show’s portrayal of relationships, fandom dynamics, and the show’s broader reception in pop culture. The most viral negative reactions largely came from groups opposed to LGBTQ+ representation, but criticism also extended to concerns around online toxicity, hostile discourse, and the intensity of fandom behavior, contributing to the polarized tone observed on the platform.
Heated Rivalry’s Popularity in Context
To better understand Heated Rivalry’s success, let’s look at the mentions trend for Boots, a Netflix show that premiered all episodes on October 9, 2025. Similar to Heated Rivalry, Boots also has a dedicated fandom and is winning critical acclaim, with both shows earning nominations for the 2026 GLAAD Media Awards.
As we’ve seen before with binge drop shows, the discussion of Boots saw a mostly steady decline, except for an October 17 spike tied to the Pentagon’s statement condemning the show for centering a gay character in the military. However, even with the flurry of debate the statement sparked, Boots only generated about 6% of the conversation that Heated Rivalry did in the month and a half after the premiere.
One notable difference between Heated Rivalry and Boots is where the discussion around them initially took place. While only about 3% of Heated Rivalry’s mentions came from news sources, about 9% of Boots’s did. That news coverage was largely concentrated around its premiere date and the high-profile conservative backlash that came soon after, which then became a major focus of discussion around the show.
What Marketers Can Learn from Heated Rivalry’s Explosive Popularity
Heated Rivalry’s deep explorations of romance and identity gave it a depth that helped it build organic momentum and a dedicated fanbase over time. Marketers, take note:
- From Bad Bunny to K-Pop Demon Hunters, we’re seeing time and time again that audiences are hungry for daring, culturally engaging content that stands apart. And while backlash is almost a given for entertainment that strikes that balance, controversy doesn’t mean failure. Instead, it can mark impact.
- The data behind Heated Rivalry’s success highlights how social listening and consumer intelligence data can be used strategically. Not to find consensus or preempt negative sentiment, but to understand where, why, and how cultural engagement happens. That information equips your brand with insights it needs to differentiate itself while staying in conversation with target audiences and the topics they care about most.
- Audience discussions differ across digital spaces. For marketers, this underscores the importance of tailoring messaging and success metrics to platform culture. What drives positive sentiment in one space may trigger negative sentiment in another. Both contribute to cultural impact.
Ultimately, becoming a social media success story comes down to understanding your target audience beyond vanity metrics via deep, scalable analysis of their interests, motivations, habits, and more.
This is where Meltwater comes in, enabling brands to identify emerging cultural signals, understand audience behavior at scale, and make more informed marketing decisions. Curious where to start? Fill out the form below for a demo.
FAQ: Heated Rivalry’s Runaway Success
Why did Heated Rivalry outperform expectations for a niche streaming series?
According to a Meltwater social listening analysis, Heated Rivalry benefited from sustained, fan-driven conversation rather than a short-lived launch spike. Week-to-week releases, emotionally resonant story moments, and active fandom participation allowed mentions and engagement to grow steadily over time instead of tapering off after the premiere.
What role did social media play in Heated Rivalry’s success?
Meltwater’s analysis shows that the vast majority of conversation around Heated Rivalry originated on social platforms, with social media accounting for the overwhelming share of mentions. This social-first momentum enabled organic discovery, sustained engagement, and repeat conversation well beyond the finale.
Why did Heated Rivalry maintain momentum after the finale?
Meltwater’s analysis found that post-finale visibility was supported by off-platform cultural moments, including award show appearances and red carpet events involving the show’s stars. These moments gave fans new content to discuss, extending the lifecycle of the conversation beyond the series itself.
How did Heated Rivalry compare to binge-release shows, like Boots?
A Meltwater comparison analysis shows that binge-release titles tend to experience sharp early spikes followed by gradual decline. In contrast, Heated Rivalry’s staggered release schedule enabled compounding engagement, ultimately generating significantly more total conversation despite similar critical reception.
Did controversy or backlash drive conversation about Heated Rivalry?
Meltwater data indicates that while Heated Rivalry did encounter some backlash, it was not the primary driver of conversation. Instead, fan enthusiasm and organic discussion consistently outweighed negative sentiment, suggesting that positive cultural engagement had a greater impact on overall visibility.
What does Heated Rivalry’s success suggest about brand and campaign strategy?
According to Meltwater’s consumer intelligence analysis, long-term cultural relevance is more often built through authentic audience connection than through controversy or one-off viral moments. Brands that understand where conversations start, how they evolve, and which moments matter most are better positioned to sustain attention over time.
How can marketers apply Heated Rivalry insights to their own brands?
Meltwater analysis shows that moving beyond vanity metrics to examine timing, sentiment drivers, audience behavior, and platform dynamics enables marketers to make more informed decisions. These insights help brands identify emerging opportunities, optimize content strategies, and engage audiences in ways that feel timely and relevant.
