Ottawa doesn’t often feel like a cottage weekend, especially in the middle of winter – but it did yesterday.

Last night, the Canadian Media Producers Association hosted its annual Prime Time conference: and it was full of surprises! Prime Minister Mark Carney made a Red Carpet appearance, alongside the stars and creators of Heated Rivalry, Crave’s breakout original series that has become one of Canada’s (and the world’s) most talked-about television shows. The moment was both symbolic and celebratory: a collision of politics, pop culture and one very specific fictional cottage that fans know by heart.

Carney joined Heated Rivalry leads Hudson Williams and Sophie Nélisse (Rose), along with creator, writer, director, and executive producer Jacob Tierney, and executive producer Brendan Brady, for an evening that underscored the growing global influence of Canadian storytelling. 

The evening continued with a surprise In Conversation With Heated Rivalry panel, moderated by etalk‘s Lainey Lui. Featuring Williams, Nélisse, Tierney and Brady, the discussion offered curated clips and behind-the-scenes insight into the creative leadership driving the series’ success. The conversation was candid, playful and reflective – mirroring the tone that has helped the show resonate with audiences around the world.

Additional remarks throughout the event came from Valerie Creighton, CEO of the Canada Media Fund; Sean Cohan, President of Bell Media; Reynolds Mastin, President and CEO of the CMPA; and Kyle Irving, Chair of the CMPA Board of Directors. The event truly reinforced the significance of Heated Rivalry not just as entertainment, but as a cultural export and industry milestone.

From its distinctly Canadian roots to its international reach, Heated Rivalry has emerged as a global touchstone. The series has been widely praised for challenging traditional portrayals of masculinity in sport and for delivering a bold, emotionally honest depiction of queer love and relationships — joyful, complex and unapologetically human.

Now streaming on Crave in Canada, Heated Rivalry is also available internationally across HBO Max, Sky, Movistar Plus+, and NEON, among others – a testament to the universal appeal of a story that began on home ice and has since captured audiences worldwide.

Photography courtesy of George Pimentel for CMPA.