{"id":475355,"date":"2026-06-13T11:54:09","date_gmt":"2026-06-13T11:54:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/475355\/"},"modified":"2026-06-13T11:54:09","modified_gmt":"2026-06-13T11:54:09","slug":"after-heated-rivalry-crave-execs-seek-next-big-thing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/475355\/","title":{"rendered":"After \u2018Heated Rivalry,\u2019 Crave execs seek next big thing"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cHeated Rivalry\u201d<\/a> jokes were almost as plentiful as the cocktails at Bell Media\u2019s recent upfront\u00a0presentation to advertisers.<\/p>\n

Midway through a two-hour showcase of upcoming Crave and CTV programming earlier this month at Meridian Hall, Bell Media had already paraded out\u00a0the show\u2019s stars Hudson Williams<\/a> and Robbie G.K.\u00a0before an audience of roughly 1,600 advertisers, influencers and journalists.<\/p>\n

Then, it was event host\u00a0eTalk correspondent Lainey Lui\u2019s turn to address the outsized impact of the gay hockey romance.<\/p>\n

\u201cEveryone here is asking: \u2018What\u2019s the next \u2018Heated Rivalry\u2019?\u2019\u201d\u00a0she said before unveiling mock posters for absurd spinoffs: \u201cHeated MasterChef,\u201d \u201cHeated CP24\u201d and \u201cHeated Project Runway Canada.\u201d<\/p>\n

It was a comedy bit, sure, but the gags landed because they\u00a0raised a serious question: How does Crave,\u00a0Canada\u2019s largest homegrown streaming service, follow\u00a0the unprecedented success of\u00a0its first true cultural phenomenon?<\/p>\n

\"Crave-Hudson.JPG\"<\/p>\n

Hudson Williams wins best lead performer in a drama series for \u201cHeated Rivalry\u201d at the 2026 Canadian Screen Awards.<\/p>\n

Chris Young\/The Canadian Press<\/p>\n

Bell\u2019s answer involves two parallel ambitions. At home, executives want to establish Crave as more than just Canada\u2019s gateway to HBO programming. Internationally, they\u2019re trying to build a name as a reliable source of TV hits made with modest budgets.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe feel the pressure, but it\u2019s an exciting pressure,\u201d\u00a0said Justin Stockman, Bell\u2019s vice-president of global content, inside his office at\u00a0the company\u2019s Queen West Street headquarters.<\/p>\n

Stockman\u2019s desk is surrounded by reminders of the TV shows he championed, including posters of \u201cSullivan\u2019s Crossing\u201d and \u201cCanada\u2019s Drag Race.\u201d Noticeably absent is much evidence of \u201cHeated Rivalry,\u201d largely because he keeps giving the memorabilia away to the show\u2019s many fans.<\/p>\n

Interest in \u201cHeated Rivalry\u201d has buoyed Crave\u2019s streaming service. Total subscribers reached 4.74 million in the first quarter of 2026, a 25 per cent increase from a year earlier. The company aims to hit 6 million subscribers in 2028, still only about half of Netflix\u2019s subscriber count in Canada.<\/p>\n

Stockman is one of the Bell power players behind the show\u2019s success, having initially backed Jacob Tierney\u2019s vision to adapt Rachel Reid\u2019s romance novels<\/a>. But the executive is no TV newcomer.<\/p>\n

\"Crave<\/p>\n

Memorabilia surrounds Justin Stockman in his office at Bell Media.<\/p>\n

Sophie Bouquillon\/Toronto Star<\/p>\n

Three decades ago, he landed a job as a tour guide at the former CHUM building while attending university, and eventually climbed the ranks from web designer to creative director at MuchMusic, before helping launch Crave in 2014.<\/p>\n

Since then, Stockman has been part of the team producing shows under its \u201cCrave Originals\u201d banner. While earlier hits \u201cLetterkenny\u201d and its spinoff \u201cShoresy\u201d reached a level of international success, none has approached the impact of \u201cHeated Rivalry.\u201d<\/p>\n

Winning the streaming wars<\/p>\n

Bell Media is in the midst of a considerable effort to boost Crave\u2019s reputation for the next stage of the streaming wars.<\/p>\n

In Canada, it\u2019s using\u00a0\u201cHeated Rivalry\u201d to further define its brand as unique from HBO, the premium TV network that helped build Crave with hits like \u201cGame of Thrones\u201d and \u201cThe White Lotus.\u201d<\/p>\n

That\u2019s one reason Crave is using every opportunity to trumpet its successes, and its executives are strategizing ways to attract hype and acclaim to its own shows. Recently, they rolled out the new season of YouTube star Jus Reign\u2019s \u201cLate Bloomer\u201d alongside HBO\u2019s \u201cEuphoria,\u201d in hopes it would reach a wider audience.<\/p>\n

\"Crave-Late-Bloomer.JPG\"<\/p>\n

Jasmeet Singh Raina, a.k.a. Jus Reign, stars in the semi-autobiographical dramedy \u201cLate Bloomer.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bell Media<\/p>\n

Outside Canada, Bell has increased its exposure to the TV production pipeline, a move\u00a0to invest in, and reap the financial rewards of, Canadian shows that\u00a0find\u00a0mass appeal around the world. Last summer, the company made a strategic investment in Blink49 Studios, which will produce several of its latest series, while Bell oversees their global distribution. Bell also acquired a majority stake in Sphere Abacus, the worldwide sales arm of Montreal-based Sphere Media, allowing it to benefit from the global sales and distribution of other Canadian shows, including CBC\u2019s \u201cSort Of\u201d and \u201cThe Porter.\u201d<\/p>\n

Stockman said the approach\u00a0makes sense in a highly competitive\u00a0space where U.S. streaming giants are trying to dominate the Canadian market.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf the foreign competitors are going to invade our territory and take our audience, we need to take our content outside of our borders or we\u2019re just going to shrink,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Stockman said he sees an opportunity to build on that plan as Hollywood endures one of the most turbulent times in its history, hobbled by union strikes, consolidation and cost-cutting. He hopes the production\u00a0slowdown\u00a0will make top Canadian talent more willing to consider\u00a0projects at home.<\/p>\n

What comes after<\/p>\n

The clearest expression of that strategy is Crave\u2019s 2026\/2027 programming slate, which is packed with recognizable stars and unusual concepts that could redefine what audiences expect from a Canadian series. Among the 62 productions are a few linked to creators more commonly associated with Hollywood than Canadian television.<\/p>\n

\"Crave<\/p>\n

Evan Goldberg and Seth Rogen, accepting an Emmy for \u201cThe Studio,\u201d will produce \u201cThe Littlest Hobo\u201d for Crave.<\/p>\n

Chris Pizzello\/The Associated Press<\/p>\n

Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg are attached to produce a revival of the dog adventure\u00a0\u201cThe Littlest Hobo,\u201d\u00a0while \u201cHouse\u201d creator David Shore is developing the crime drama \u201cI\u2019m Not Here to Hurt You.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ivan Reitman\u2019s 1979 summer camp comedy \u201cMeatballs,\u201d which starred Bill Murray, will be remade with \u201cHeated Rivalry\u201d breakout Robbie G.K. in the lead, while \u201cSaved By the Bell\u201d\u00a0heartthrob\u00a0Mark-Paul Gosselaar will don\u00a0tight shorts for \u201cBulges,\u201d a comedy set at a Hooters-like restaurant staffed by men in Niagara Falls, Ont.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re trying to make a statement,\u201d Stockman said of the lineup.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re either weird concepts that everyone will talk about or they\u2019ve got interesting talent that maybe you wouldn\u2019t have thought of for a Canadian series.\u201d<\/p>\n

The diversity of Crave\u2019s lineup also suggests that rather than commissioning obvious successors to \u201cHeated Rivalry,\u201d Bell is betting on projects that differ sharply in genre and tone.<\/p>\n

Stockman points to \u201cYaga,\u201d a supernatural thriller based on Kat Sandler\u2019s stage play,<\/a> which has already secured U.S. distribution on AMC Plus. Set in a small town haunted by a child-eating witch, the series follows a sheriff, detective and university professor investigating a string of murders.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Matrix\u201d star Carrie-Anne Moss leads the cast, which features \u201cSchitt\u2019s Creek\u201d star Noah Reid<\/a>, veteran actors\u00a0Sheila McCarthy and Megan Follows, as well as\u00a0Hudson Williams in a supporting role that\u2019s already generated online buzz. A trailer shown at\u00a0Bell Media\u2019s presentation promised lots of spells and even more sex.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur cast is kind of the Canadian Avengers,\u201d said Sandler, who is a writer and executive producer on the TV adaptation.<\/p>\n

\u201cEveryone feels the excitement, and the weight, of having all these eyes on us, as one of the next things after \u2018Heated.\u2019 (The Crave executives) are encouraging us to push the show to a place where it feels really different, dangerous and exciting.\u201d<\/p>\n

The \u2018C\u2019 in Crave<\/p>\n

Sean Cohan, president of Bell Media, has become the loudest champion of that philosophy.\u00a0The former New Yorker spent 15 years at A+E Networks helping expand the company\u2019s global footprint, and when he joined Bell in 2023, his priorities included accelerating a \u201cdigital pivot\u201d and expanding Crave\u2019s original programming slate.<\/p>\n

He\u00a0also managed Bell Media through its most recent round of layoffs last year,\u00a0when\u00a0parent company BCE Inc. shed thousands of jobs as it adjusted to slower\u00a0growth in its telecom operations.<\/p>\n

\"Crave<\/p>\n

Bell Media general manager of original programming Carlyn Klebuc, CEO Sean Cohen and global content VP Justin Stockman at company headquarters on April 28, 2026.<\/p>\n

Sophie Bouquillon\/Toronto Star<\/p>\n

Cohan frames Crave\u2019s production strategy in two categories: \u201cBig C\u201d shows, rooted in Canadian themes, and \u201cLittle C\u201d projects designed for global appeal with stories that \u201ccould have happened to anyone.\u201d Both employ Canadian casts and writers, and he hopes both will entice\u00a0international audiences.<\/p>\n

Carlyn Klebuc, general manager of Crave\u2019s original programming, said Cohan\u2019s vision has already\u00a0manifested\u00a0in the quality of the programming.\u00a0When a production warrants it, additional funding can be allocated to enhance the final result, like securing popular music rights or casting recognizable stars in guest roles.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a freedom that we haven\u2019t had in the past to take bigger swings,\u201d she said, \u201cto get more money on screen and really strive for excellence.\u201d<\/p>\n

Whether any of these series reach a fraction of \u201cHeated Rivalry\u201d\u2019s audience\u00a0remains to be seen.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne hit is always just one hit,\u201d said Joe Adalian, West Coast editor of Vulture and author of the streaming newsletter Buffering.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd it\u2019s not going to change the fact that Netflix, Prime Video and Disney Plus are much bigger than Crave.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cohan said the fierce competition for viewer\u2019s attention\u00a0is one reason he\u2019s building out Crave with new features.\u00a0The platform recently introduced a news hub for CTV\u2019s evening and national newscasts, as well as a section devoted to video podcasts, following a similar move by Netflix. Cohan said he hopes the new offerings will encourage Crave subscribers to make a \u201cdaily habit\u201d of using the service.<\/p>\n

He said Bell has also renegotiated many of its CTV licenses for live sports events and awards shows to also include streaming rights. (Crave streamed the Oscars for the first time earlier this year.)<\/p>\n

Getting rid of the bugs<\/p>\n

Even as Bell pushes for growth, technical issues remain a drag on Crave\u2019s user experience.<\/p>\n

For years, subscribers have complained about persistent glitches that\u00a0led them to cancel the service, including frequent\u00a0buffering, playback errors and crashes.<\/p>\n

Last year, the platform underwent a massive overhaul\u00a0that resolved many of the problems. However, new ones cropped up, including programs vanishing from the \u201cContinue Watching\u201d carousel, forcing viewers to search the title each time a new\u00a0episode\u00a0is released.<\/p>\n

Cohan\u00a0said that many of these errors are\u00a0on his radar.<\/p>\n

\u201cI get emails from people,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s gotten a lot better, but it\u2019s not where it needs to be.\u201d<\/p>\n

Earlier this year, Bell simplified its\u00a0processes by shutting down both its CTV and French-language Noovo streaming apps, and integrating all of the programming into the Crave platform.<\/p>\n

The HBO issue<\/p>\n

As Crave forges its new identity, other uncertainties await.<\/p>\n

The US$110 billion merger\u00a0of Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery raises questions over whether\u00a0Crave\u2019s long-standing licensing deal for HBO content will be renewed the next time it expires. In an official statement, Bell downplayed the impact of potentially losing HBO\u2019s deep catalogue, saying Crave will continue to carry HBO\u2019s prestige programming for the\u00a0\u201cforeseeable future.\u201d<\/p>\n

Stockman suggested that whatever might happen years from now, he believes Crave will be ready. He pointed to last Christmas when six of the Top 10 shows on the service were Crave originals.\u00a0In one of the busiest viewing periods of the year, he considered that a big win, and it\u2019s one he hopes to replicate many times over.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll have to prove ourselves again and again,\u201d Stockman said.\u00a0\u201cAnd that\u2019s what we\u2019re intending to do.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\u201cHeated Rivalry\u201d jokes were almost as plentiful as the cocktails at Bell Media\u2019s recent upfront\u00a0presentation to advertisers. Midway…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":475356,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[156,111,139,69,437],"class_list":["post-475355","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-tv","tag-entertainment","tag-new-zealand","tag-newzealand","tag-nz","tag-tv"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/475355","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=475355"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/475355\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/475356"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=475355"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=475355"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=475355"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}