The 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan are seeing a surprising surge in interest for men’s ice hockey, thanks to an unlikely catalyst: the viral success of the queer romance series Heated Rivalry. Data suggests that the show, which captivated audiences in late 2025, has directly contributed to a significant increase in female engagement with the sport.
The Rise in Female Viewership
According to Zeta Global, female interest in hockey is up 20% in the last two months, and now exceeds early-2022 levels around the Beijing Olympics by 30%. The show, originally streamed on Crave and HBO Max, topped viewing charts and drew in a predominantly female audience. The impact isn’t just anecdotal; engagement among women under 35 rose 8–11% month-over-month in November and December, culminating in a dramatic 71.5% spike after the show’s finale in December.
Beyond Gen Z: Broad Demographic Impact
While viral TikToks featuring the show’s stars, Ilya Rozanov and Shane Hollander, suggest Gen Z women are the primary drivers of this trend, the data reveals broader demographic growth.
– Women ages 18–24 saw a 24.69% increase in hockey interest.
– The 25–49 age group increased by 19.74%.
– Women ages 50–64 grew by 23.74%.
– Even those 65+ showed a 27.19% rise in interest.
This indicates that Heated Rivalry has tapped into a wider, pre-existing female hockey fanbase while simultaneously attracting new viewers across multiple age groups.
The Cultural Resonance and Olympic Response
The show’s influence is evident in social media trends, with Olympic hockey games now frequently soundtracked by t.A.T.u.’s “All the Things She Said,” a song featured in a key Heated Rivalry scene. Time Magazine recently interviewed fans who purchased tickets to women’s hockey games after watching the show, demonstrating a direct link between the series and real-world engagement.
Olympic organizers have even capitalized on the phenomenon by selecting actors Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie, who play the show’s leads, to carry the Olympic flame in Italy, solidifying the connection.
The increased interest in hockey isn’t solely attributable to Heated Rivalry, but the timing and scale of the audience surge strongly suggest that the show has played a significant role. This unexpected cultural crossover highlights the power of entertainment media to drive engagement with traditionally male-dominated sports.
