HBO Max’s gay ice hockey romance ‘Heated Rivalry’ attracts an unexpected audience

“Heated Rivalry,” HBO Max’s gay ice hockey romance, has attracted not only women and LGBTQ viewers, but straight men as well.

“It shows heterosexual men what is possible for them in terms of intimacy and friendship and love and connection,” Luke Bateman, a logging contractor in Queensland, Australia, told The Washington Times. “And that’s something that we are starved of in our world currently, and it’s something that we’ve never really been allowed to have, whether that be platonically, romantically or just familiarly.”

A writer and former professional athlete, Mr. Bateman said the HBO streaming series exposes the “internalized homophobia” that many men and athletes face.

“Being able to understand and resonate that emotions, love, connection and intimacy across the spectrum, I think, is really important in breaking down internalized homophobia,” he said.

Mr. Bateman said he believes that elite sporting culture is steeped in homophobia because being gay is tied to femininity, which is rejected within the environment.

Michael O’Connor works as a somatic practitioner, helping people deal with trauma by focusing on their physical sensations instead of just their thoughts. He said “Heated Rivalry” resonates among disparate viewers because of its nuanced exploration of masculinity and freedom from societal expectations from a heterosexual paradigm.

“This is where gay and straight men are connecting because this is where patriarchy is directed towards them,” said Mr. O’Connor, who conducts retreats for gay clients. “They know what this masculinity policing is like because they don’t wanna be called gay. This pressure of ’what is a man’ is what they’re feeling too.”

Straight men have commented on Instagram and TikTok about their interest and engagement with the first six-episode season of the show, which debuted on HBO in November.

One fan on Instagram recently created and posted a video about the show, saying: “Chiming in on behalf of all straight men who love the show ’Heated Rivalry.’ First of all the press tour — hilarious, amazing. Also Hollander and Rozanov are jocks.”

Women in their 40s and 50s also have been drawn to the show’s central couple and the complexities of their relationship.

Amy Shoenthal, corporate speaker and author of “The Setback Cycle,” told The Times that what has drawn her to the show is the character portrayals.

She described a younger friend initially recommending the series, and as someone who reads romance novels, she was not surprised by the graphic nature of some of the scenes.

“It wasn’t about the steaminess or the attractiveness. I mean, of course, that was a fun part of it, but I feel like it was just so much more about the character transformation or the character evolution,” Ms. Shoenthal said.

She also mentioned that the show is providing a “corrective experience.” Instead of the series depicting situations that end in tragedy or disappointment, the story concludes on a positive note.

“I feel like maybe this show is appealing to folks who are straight and folks who are older because we have had so many, frankly, devastating experiences in love, in life. If you look at, sort of, the news cycle right now, we’re all looking for an escape from that, and we’re all looking for a heartwarming story of hope and what could be,” Ms. Shoenthal said.

The series explores themes of masculinity, emotional expression and the bravery to be one’s authentic self, she said.

Based on the “Game Changers” novel series by Rachel Reid, the television series revolves around two professional hockey players, Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov, as they navigate their romantic interest over 10 years while competing on rival teams.

The show premiered on Canada’s streaming platform Crave before launching in the U.S.