The Business of Heated Rivalry

Key takeaways

'Heated Rivalry' exemplifies how a unique storytelling approach can resonate widely, focusing on themes of inclusion and queer joy.
The Canadian production model offers distinct advantages, such as budget efficiencies and IP ownership, contrasting sharply with U.S. industry practices.
Creative processes in TV production must adapt to changing viewer expectations while maintaining the essence of storytelling.
AI should enhance, not replace, the collaborative aspects of creative work, preserving the significance of human interaction.

Summary

The Phenomenon of Heated Rivalry

In this episode, the hosts explore the unexpected success of the Canadian TV show 'Heated Rivalry,' a steamy hockey romance that has captured audiences in the United States and worldwide. The creators, Jacob Tierney and Brendan Brady, discuss how their show has embraced themes of queer joy and has become a cultural phenomenon. The conversation highlights the show's accessibility and its ability to resonate with diverse audiences.

The Unique Canadian Production Model

The episode dives into the Canadian production model that allowed 'Heated Rivalry' to be made efficiently, with a budget of around $2 million per episode, significantly lower than typical U.S. productions. The discussion compares financial structures, including government subsidies and ownership of intellectual property, providing insight into the advantages and challenges faced by Canadian creators versus their American counterparts.

Creative Processes and Industry Trends

Highlighting the changing landscape of television production and storytelling, the creators share their approach to making the show, focusing on efficient shooting schedules and their countercultural production style. They discuss the impact of modern streaming practices, audience expectations, and how this affects creative storytelling in a world where viewers often multitask.

Frictions in Creativity and the Role of AI

As the conversation progresses, the creators reflect on the importance of creative friction—collaboration, communication, and the human touch in storytelling. They address emerging concerns about AI's role in the industry, suggesting that technology should assist rather than replace creative processes.

Show notes

Heated Rivalry, the steamy hockey romance show, was made for about $2 million per episode. That is remarkably cheap for an hour-long drama.

Today on the show, a conversation with Heated Rivalry creators Jacob Tierney and Brendan Brady about their television miracle on ice.

It’s not just that the show was made efficiently and cleverly. Heated Rivalry comes from a Canadian economic system of making TV and movies that is completely different from how we do things in the US.

In this episode of Planet Money, in partnership with the Pivot podcast co-hosted by Kara Swisher, we hear about a Canadian production model for making TV and movies and how it’s different from the U.S. model. And we learn what the experience of making Heated Rivalry teaches us about the current state of both industries.

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The original Pivot episode from New York Magazine and The Vox Media Podcast Network was hosted by Kara Swisher, produced by Lara Naman, Zoë Marcus and Taylor Griffin and engineered by Brandon McFarland. Nishat Kurwa is Vox Media's Executive Producer of podcasts. This episode of Planet Money was hosted by Kenny Malone, produced by James Sneed, edited by Jess Jiang and fact-checked by Lara Naman. Alex Goldmark is our executive producer.

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