Someone at the International Olympic Committee has their finger on the pulse.
That much became clear last month, when hot new bombshells – Heated Rivalry stars Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams – entered the villa, serving as torchbearers in Feltre, Italy.
Heated Rivalry, a Crave television show that follows the decade-long rivals-to-lovers relationship of two professional hockey superstars, has taken the world by storm since its release in November. It sparked important conversations about homophobia in sport, and celebrations of a gay male love story that has a promise of a Hollywood happy ending, rather than tragedy.
Maintaining the appeal of the Olympics to modern audiences, particularly Gen Z, is one of the more significant challenges the IOC faces as the attention economy evolves. A 2023 study found that they view entertainment content more than twice as much as sports content, contrasting sharply to older generations such as Baby Boomers.
Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams from ‘Heated Rivalry’ presenting at the Golden Globes awards.Credit: CBS via Getty Images
To combat this, the IOC has started adding new and unconventional sports – despite being held during COVID-19, Tokyo 2020 featured a record number of sports (33) and events (339), and Paris 2024 famously introduced breaking to the scene.
But with no Raygun to rely on, the IOC has clearly turned to the next best thing: fictional Canadian athletes whom many across the world are holding a torch for.
The real Team Canada made Milan’s San Siro Stadium erupt into loud cheers when they walked out… but the throngs of fans lining the streets in Feltre in January appeared to have cheered louder when they clapped eyes on the leading men of one of the most-watched shows of 2025, dressed in white tracksuits and snow boots, carrying the Olympic flame.
Team Canada at the opening ceremony.Credit: AP
