Heated Rivalry: BookTok, Hockey Smut, and the Audience That Made It Explode!

sweettalkmedia
Jan 13
4 min read

Updated: Feb 20

Heated Rivalry has become one of Crave’s biggest hits since its premiere, and for good reason. The series, based on a popular book series, follows hockey rivals Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov through a years-long secret relationship.

It has the chaos. It has the love scenes. And yes—it has the butts.

But it also exploded online for one simple reason: it knows its audience.

An audience that is loyal, online, and unapologetically obsessed — and a story that delivered exactly what they wanted.

Loyal, Online, and Obsessed

Romance BookTok isn’t niche. It’s a culture engine.

Women in these spaces:

Post screenshots, quotes, and reactions in real time
Tag friends instantly
Turn personal taste into public conversation

The moment something lands, it doesn’t quietly succeed. It dominates online with memes, Reels, TikToks, edits, comments, group chats.

From Bridgerton → The Summer I Turned Pretty → Heated Rivalry, the pattern is clear: audiences show up for content that speaks directly to them.

And when the content is unapologetically made for them, sharing happens automatically.

Community is the Key

When an audience feels seen and a community experiences that feeling together, you hit the perfect formula for engagement. One of the coolest things about an engaged audience is that people will share, tag, and post without you asking them to.

They aren't waiting for a call-to-action—they’re acting because:

They want to be part of the conversation: Sharing is their way of joining the "inner circle."
They’re rooting for the win: They love the show and want to see it succeed as much as the creators do.

Take one of the most iconic lines from Heated Rivalry: “I’m coming to the cottage.”

This one sentence immediately became a meme, a TikTok sound, and a moment fans couldn’t wait to repurpose online. No prompts needed. It resonated, it felt like "theirs," so it got shared.

What Showing Up Can Actually Look Like

Marketing alignment doesn't always have to be a massive production. Sometimes, the most effective ways to participate are low-cost and obvious—if you’re paying attention.

The Missed Opportunity: Canada Dry

Ginger ale is mentioned constantly throughout the story; it’s cozy, it’s late-night, it’s part of the character’s "vibe." Canada Dry is even mentioned by name. And yet… not a single social post from the brand acknowledging it exists.

It didn’t need a massive campaign. A single playful Reel or a cheeky "If you know, you know" post—something that said “we see you”—would have felt completely natural and earned them instant loyalty from a massive, niche audience.

Release the Fleece: Team Canada

In the series, the characters head to the Olympics, and Shane is seen wearing a Team Canada sherpa jacket. The fans didn't just notice it—they turned it into a movement, coining the slogan “Release the Fleece.” Team Canada didn't try to reinvent the wheel; they simply recognized the moment and pounced.

They saw the opportunity for what it was:

A community-led movement: The fans had already done the heavy lifting by naming the trend.
The product fit perfectly: It was a natural, organic part of the story.
Timely participation: Showing up meant being part of the conversation while it was white-hot.

No over-explaining. No forced messaging. Just a brand acknowledging the fans' own slogan and participating in a way that felt natural, relevant, and smart. They spoke the "cultural speak" of the fans while the moment was alive.

How Your Small Business Can Join the Conversation

You don’t need a huge budget to capitalize on a cultural moment like Heated Rivalry. If your audience is part of this community, here is how you can show up in a way that feels like a "wink" to your best customers:

The "If You Know, You Know": Create a cheeky drink special. Call a spicy mocha the "Heated Rivalry" or a cozy vanilla latte "The Cottage." It’s low-cost, high-reward, and guaranteed to end up on someone's Instagram Story.
Custom Treats: If you’re a bakery or cafe, sugar cookies with iconic quotes like "I’m coming to the cottage" are pure gold. With Valentine’s Day around the corner, these become the perfect gift for the ladies in your life.
On your feed: Use trending audio from the show like "all the things she said" from the iconic club scene. Use your social captions to play into the tropes. "Do you want to attract your Shane to your Ilya? Get these lashes first." It’s a fun, low-stakes way to connect your product to their favourite characters.

The Takeaway

Speaking to YOUR audience is when the real magic happens. When you show up authentically, speak directly to your people, and stay true to the vibe, something amazing occurs: a two-way community forms, sharing happens organically, and people start rooting for you.