'Heated Rivalry' is just the tip of the iceberg. How hockey became the sexiest sport.
Yahoo••entertainment
Key Points:
- Hockey players have long inspired romance novels as rugged, passionate heroes, but the recent TV adaptation of the hockey romance novel "Heated Rivalry" has propelled the genre into mainstream pop culture, boosting interest in the sport itself.
- "Heated Rivalry," featuring a romance between two closeted hockey rivals, has become a viral sensation on streaming platforms, with its actors gaining rapid fame and the show breaking new ground by portraying LGBTQ relationships in professional sports.
- The show's popularity is translating into real-world hockey enthusiasm, with fans attending games in themed apparel and teams engaging with the series on social media, contributing to a notable rise in female viewership and new fans for the NHL.
- The hockey romance genre, popularized by novels
