HBO Max’s much-talked-about Canadian import, the steamy gay ice hockey drama “Heated Rivalry,” has sparked major new interest in the sport itself.
The National Hockey League (NHL) reports that weekly hockey ticket sales have risen more than 20% after the show first aired. That noticeable spike in demand was nonexistent during the same period a year ago.
Mobile ticketing platform SeatGeek adds that the games have also seen a rise in both single-ticket sales among fans attending games on their own, plus stronger demand from first-time game attendees. That has led to revenue for the NHL soaring more than 30%.
SeatGeek marketing director Chris Leyden said in a statement: “‘Heated Rivalry’ has certainly piqued interest in hockey and the NHL. We are seeing it both in terms of more people on SeatGeek shopping for NHL tickets, as well as a pretty notable increase in single ticket buyers as more people check out a game, often for the first time ever.”
On StubHub, ticket searches increased 75%, with 5% bought by first-timers. They indicate the last time a spike like this happened was back in 2023 when Taylor Swift attended the Chiefs’ game.
Based on Rachel Reid’s book series “Game Changers,” the series focuses on the romance between two male professional hockey stars on rival teams. It has turned its stars like Hudson Williams, Connor Storrie and Francois Arnaud into sensations, driven fan discourse among its mostly female fanbase to new heights, and stood atop HBO Max’s Top 10 chart for several weeks until finally being knocked off by the recent second season premiere of “The Pitt”.
Source: CBS News
