A gay hockey romance just became the biggest show on streaming.
Heated Rivalry hit #1 on HBO Max and Crave within weeks of its November premiere.
Heated Rivalry, a six-episode series about two rival professional hockey players in a secret gay relationship, became the #1 streaming show across HBO Max and Crave. Sales of Rachel Reid's 2019 novel surged past 650,000 copies. The show has been referenced at actual NHL games, on Saturday Night Live, and by the Mayor of New York City.
The show did not succeed despite being niche. It succeeded because it was niche. A hyper-specific fandom — queer romance readers, hockey fans, BookTok devotees — created a gravitational pull that drew in everyone else.
This is Micro-Fandoms at their most powerful: a tiny, passionate community becomes the cultural centre of gravity.
Identify the smallest, most passionate community adjacent to your brand and build for them first. Mass appeal follows obsessive love, not the other way around.
Source: Variety / HBO Max