Pride Tape celebrating 10 years, new interest ignited by ‘Heated Rivalry’ show

A pair of men in Edmonton say the hit show Heated Rivalry is giving their product Pride Tape a boost. CTV News Edmonton's Nicola Lampa explains.

Demand for Pride Tape, the rainbow-coloured sports tape created in Edmonton, has never been higher than now in its 10th year thanks to the popular new TV show Heated Rivalry.

Pride Tape makers Kristopher Wells and Jeff McLean say orders are up about 40 per cent since the series, adapted by a Canadian director and screenwriter from a book series by a Canadian author, premiered in November.

“It’s been very interesting with Heated Rivalry coming out on Crave in Canada, and then going forward to HBO in the States, and now (being) picked up (by) Sky in the U.K. and other countries. We’ve actually been seeing sales follow the trend of where the show is going," McLean told CTV News Edmonton in a recent interview.

He and Wells are only two of many across the world who are enjoying the show, which follows a pair of professional hockey stars as they secretly explore their sexualities and feelings for each other.

The show has become Crave’s best original series debut, increasing its viewership by almost 400 per cent since its premiere.

The success of the show is not only a proud national moment, but will be hugely influential on promoting acceptance and inclusivity in sport like Pride Tape aims to do, its creators say.

“To have this cultural, global phenomenon … take over the world and really draw attention that 10 years later, we’re still needing to make more progress,” Wells said. “Still, some athletes are not feeling safe in the locker room or safe in the game that they love, the sport that they choose, and – particularly – 10 years later, even despite having Pride Tape, we still don’t have an NHL player present or even in the past that has come out, so we still know that there are some cultural problems.”

10 years of Pride Tape

Pride Tape was born out of Wells’ research into why gay and queer boys were dropping out of organized team sports at younger ages than their straight cisgender peers.

“We knew it was a problem of culture; culture in the locker room that was very exclusive and often homophobic, driving the next Connor McDavid out of the game before they even had a chance to achieve their dreams and greatness,” Wells, now a senator, recalled.

He and McLean also knew from tracking social media posts that use of homophobic language spiked during major sporting events.

They wanted to send a message of inclusion and acceptance to LGBTQ2S+ athletes, coaches and fans.

“We chose hockey because we’re here in Edmonton, we love the sport, we have friends at the Oilers, and we just felt it was really important because it was the last professional sport with no out player at the time,” McLean added.

Hometown National Hockey League (NHL) team the Edmonton Oilers helped bring the product online, first using a prototype in an all-star skills competition, then by helping fund through their charity arm the production of the first 10,000 rolls of tape.

“We are a hockey city, we are a hockey province, and we want to make sure that everybody is accepted when it comes to playing hockey. So it was a natural step for us,” said Edmonton Oilers Community Foundation executive director Myrna Khan.

Besides a brief attempt by the NHL in 2023 to ban coloured stick tape, the creators of Pride Tape call it a success, measuring by the spread of the tape into sports beyond hockey and countries beyond Canada.

“We just make tape. You make it powerful. Pride Tape really belongs to the people that believe in the message and have the courage and the bravery to put it on their sticks,” McLean said.

Pride Tape’s influence is tied to its simple visibility, said a spokesperson for the Elite Ice Hockey League in the U.K., which has used Pride Tape for several years and hosts a month of Pride-themed events.

“Everyone has to have stick tape on,” Luke Fisher pointed out.

“When I was younger, if I’d seen that, I think it probably would have struck more of a chord.”

Could Pride Tape appear in the second season of Heated Rivalry?

Pride Tape’s makers hope to see their creation on the screen next, as Heated Rivalry has been renewed for a second season.

“We’re in conversation with the folks at Crave about partnerships. We know many NHL teams are looking at bringing Heated Rivalry into their Pride Night, so we’re going where the interest is and we’re happy to continue the conversation," Wells said.

“If you believe the (Game Changers) books and what the author has written, this certainly isn’t the end of the story for Pride Tape."

McLean added, “We love the show. We would love an opportunity to be in season two…. We’re just hoping that we can help in any way possible.”

With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Nicole Lampa