BCE reported that Crave had 5.07 million total subscriptions at the end of Q2 2026, up 23% year over year. That is slightly more than five million, but it is a quarter-end figure—not a live subscriber count for October 2026. Bell Media credited Heated Rivalry among the series helping attract audiences, but its public statements do not establish how many subscriptions the show brought in or retained.
How many subscribers does Crave have?
BCE’s Q2 2026 results reported 5.07 million Crave subscriptions at quarter-end, a 23% increase from the same period a year earlier. BCE also reported that direct-to-consumer (DTC) streaming subscribers grew 49% year over year. The DTC growth rate is a separate measure; it should not be mistaken for the growth rate of Crave’s total subscriptions. BCE’s Q2 2026 results
The figure is a reported subscription total for the end of the quarter, not an independently verified count of current subscribers. It also describes subscriptions, not necessarily unique individual viewers.
Did Heated Rivalry bring subscribers to Crave?
Bell Media said Heated Rivalry, alongside other series, was helping attract new audiences as Crave reached 4.6 million subscribers nationally in Q4 2025. Bell Media reported 26% subscription growth for that quarter. These are the company’s figures and explanation of its results; they do not isolate the show’s effect. Bell Media’s March 2026 update
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Bell Media also called Heated Rivalry Crave’s most-watched series over the holiday period from December 19 to 31, 2025. That is a platform-specific ranking reported by Bell Media, not an independent audience measurement, and it does not show how many people subscribed because of the series. Bell Media’s holiday viewing announcement
Crave’s reported total rose from 4.6 million in Q4 2025 to 5.07 million at the end of Q2 2026. Those figures cover different reporting periods, and the difference cannot be attributed to one program. BCE’s release says DTC growth supported the latest annual increase, but does not quantify Heated Rivalry’s contribution.
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What is Heated Rivalry based on?
Bell Media describes Heated Rivalry as a Crave Original created by Jacob Tierney and based on Rachel Reid’s Game Changers books. Bell Media’s series information
Harlequin lists Reid’s Heated Rivalry as Book 2 in the Game Changers series and describes it as a hockey romance. The novel is the source book, but reading it is not required to watch the series. Harlequin’s book listing
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Read the book behind the series
Rachel Reid’s Heated Rivalry is available through the publisher’s catalog; check the listing for current formats and availability. Harlequin notes that the series streams on Crave in Canada and HBO Max in the United States.
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What the subscriber figures do—and do not—show
- National Crave total: 5.07 million subscriptions at the end of Q2 2026, according to BCE; the reported year-over-year increase was 23%. BCE’s Q2 2026 results
- DTC growth: BCE reported 49% year-over-year growth in DTC streaming subscribers. This is not a Crave-only subscriber count. BCE’s Q2 2026 results
- Québec audience context: Bell Media cited Académie de la transformation numérique figures showing that the share of Québecers subscribed to Crave ranged from 10% to 25% between 2023 and 2025; it said one in four Québec adults subscribed in the study’s later period. This population share is not directly comparable with Crave’s national subscription total. Bell Media’s March 2026 update
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