No one expected a love story between rival hockey players to become one of the most talked-about TV shows of 2025, but there’s a lot more where Heated Rivalry came from, as a new teaser for Prime Video’s foray into the subgenre was just unveiled. The niche of “hockey romance novels” might feel oddly specific, though it’s become a growingly popular template for love stories of all kinds in the literary world. Case in point, Prime Video’s new series is similarly based on a book series, this one from author Elle Kennedy. Off Campus is Kennedy’s book series that explores various romantic relationships that unfold within one specific college hockey team. The first season is based on the first novel, The Deal, with this teaser including not only the main characters of that book, but also featuring appearances from other characters that become the focal points of future installments. Season 1 stars Ella Bright, Belmont Cameli, Mika Abdalla, Josh Heuston, Antonio Cipriano, Jalen Thomas Brooks, and Stephen Kalyn, and the show has already been renewed for a Season 2. You can check out the teaser for Season 1 below, with all episodes premiering on May 13.

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Prime Video describes the series:
A college soap based on the bestselling book series, Off Campus follows an elite ice hockey team, and the women in their lives, as they grapple with love, heartbreak, and self-discovery—forging deep friendships and enduring bonds while navigating the complexities that come with transitioning into adulthood. Season 1 follows the sexy and fun “opposites attract” romance between quiet songwriter, Hannah, and Briar University’s all-star hockey athlete, Garrett.
Whether this new take on the concept can capture the zeitgeist in the same way as Heated Rivalry is yet to be seen, but the two programs will undeniably be compared to one another once released, based on the similarity in premises. Not all hockey romances are created equal, though, and Kennedy’s five-book series is one of the more popular and well-regarded, so it could give Heated Rivalry a run (or skate) for its money. For outsiders, it’s easy to be confused by the abundance of hockey-themed romance stories, but it’s a trend that’s been growing for years. Like all fandoms, fervent readers on social media have latched on to “BookTok,” which is a community of fans who share their love of a variety of genres. Rather than celebrating the most widespread titles, though, BookTok homes in on niches and brings lesser-known titles to the forefront. Case in point: hockey romance novels.

Ella Bright and Belmont Cameli star in ‘Off Campus’Prime Video

BookTok might explain the “how” of a niche subgenre can gain popularity, but it doesn’t fully explain the “why.” Trying to determine what it is about these stories that are so compelling to readers, and to audiences, is both a simpler and more complicated question. The short version is that people like reading love stories of every single variety, including those centered around hockey players (and countless other occupations). The long version likely includes the intensity of a sport like hockey being juxtaposed with romantic encounters, much like the juxtaposition of vampires and high schoolers making Twilight such a success.

Prime Video will surely hope they can capture the same magic offered in Heated Rivalry, especially with Off Campus already renewed, but we won’t know until May 13 if there’s the same passion among audiences.