And it's apparently having an effect off air, as well.

Heated Rivalry star makes shock admission that closeted NFL and NBA stars are messaging him over gay hockey show


 

Interesting that the series is not eligible for the prime time Emmy's because the program has no US partner.  HBO is not involved with the production and apparently won't be for season two either.  As the article says Heated Rivalry could win an International Emmy, which has different criteria than the prime time awards. But of course needs to get nominated first.

HBO decided to pick up the program only 9 days prior to running on Crave.  They also decided to run the series on HBO Max in the US and Australia on the same schedule as Crave. 

I watched the first episode, I don't really get the hoopla. I didn't find any any outstanding acting performances. To each their own, it's not my cup of tea. 

According to one pundit, the success of this Canadian show proves the CRTC should stop interfering with the need to overly promote CanCon and let nature take its course. He argues if a show is good - like a Heated Rivalry or a Schitt's Creek - audiences worldwide will find it without the need for endless regulation.

"At the very moment Canadian content is proving it can break through on its own, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) published a new report floating the idea that Canadians need more rules telling platforms how to surface it.

Published Jan. 8, Audience at the centre: Discoverability, Promotion, and Prominence of Canadian Content Across the Broadcasting System proposes a framework under which the CRTC could set discoverability targets for services like Netflix or Disney+, requiring them to promote Canadian content (whether or not users are actually seeking it), and penalize platforms that fall short."

Heated Rivalry shows Canadian content doesn’t need the CRTC’s help

A show needs to get made in the first place and needs to be discoverable.  That likely is the intent of any regulation that the CRTC will propose.  Naturally it will get challenged and could very well not get off of the ground.  Crave does a good job promoting their domestic product and their shows are just mixed in with everything else.  We want to avoid having Canadian product hidden or clustered together in some "Canadian Section."  I have watched movies on Crave and didn't realize until into the movie it was even Canadian.  Just treat the product like everything else and don't penalize it because you don't like regulation or because it is Canadian.  Simple...