Heated Rivalry is a worldwide sensation, and Canadian artists are reaping the rewards.
The TV series — written and directed by Jacob Tierney, produced by Bell Media's Crave streamer, licensed to HBO Max and based on Nova Scotia author Rachel Reid’s Game Changers series — is arguably the biggest Canadian television success story since Schitt's Creek. Leading up to its finale on Dec. 26, the steamy gay hockey romance has become one of the most talked-about shows of 2025.
Episode 5, which aired this weekend, features a crucial synch for Montreal band Wolf Parade and their 2005 song "I'll Believe In Anything." After first appearing in episode 3 on Dec. 5, the indie rock love song soundtracks a pivotal moment in the episode, which is also called "I'll Believe In Anything." The episode is now tied with Breaking Bad's "Ozymandias" as the only episode to ever receive a perfect 10/10 rating on IMDb.
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Since Dec. 19, global streams of "I'll Believe In Anything" have risen by over 2,650%, according to Spotify.
Wolf Parade isn't the only Canadian act seeing the surge. Feist's 2007 song "My Moon My Man" also appears in Heated Rivalry, and has seen a resurgence of over 1,500% in streams, Spotify says.
The series, which is set partially in Montreal, is also filled with Francophone acts from Quebec, and they've all benefitted from the Heated Rivalry bump. Acts including Philippe B, Alfa Rococo, Malko, Jessica Charlie and Unessential Oils have all jumped tens of thousands of percent in streams and thousands of new playlist adds in just days, Spotify says. Streams of "Une journée parfaite"by Dumas surged by over 1,500% since it was featured in the show’s first episode.
Physical copies of the original books are sold out, which has led to a major surge for the Game Changers audiobook series. Reid's catalogue has seen a 1,500% global increase in listening since the show’s debut over the past 10 weeks, Spotify says.
