Before watching Heated Rivalry, hockey was something Sadie Ptasinski, third-year Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) media production student, was not particularly invested in.

Though she was already following the Toronto Maple Leafs, watching the viral series in November 2025 sparked her interest in the sport even more, and prompted a deep dive into the hockey world.

For some women-identifying students at TMU, pop culture is providing a new lane for them to explore growing interests and enter the world of sport.

“I felt like I would enjoy the show way more if I actually knew what was going on and what was at stake,” said Ptasinski. “I remember looking into how the [NHL] drafting process works and learning more about Sidney Crosby…and the more I looked into it, there’s a lot of interesting drama.”

Heated Rivalry has sparked widespread conversations about hockey culture, bringing in new fans but it’s only the latest example of pop culture influencing sports. Sports teams increasingly reference trending shows and books, famous musicians wear jerseys at concerts and sports romances are thriving on BookTok—a large reading community on TikTok. This crossover has brought in a new wave of fans, largely women, many of whom didn’t grow up in traditional sports environments.

For third-year creative industries student Qadra Rihdan, that bridge between pop culture moments and sports was what first drew her in.

“I never felt, as a woman, that I belonged in the hockey sphere”

“I’ll be honest with you, I’m going to keep it frank, like the ocean, I was not connected at all, not even a little bit,” said Rihdan about her involvement in the world of sports.

Rihdan jokes she was a stereotypical “girly girl,” painting her nails with markers, and although her family members played sports, she said she didn’t understand the appeal. It was the fashion in sports that ultimately drew her in.

“Seeing a lot of different basketball players and how they dressed is what initially got me into understanding basketball and seeing it as something more than just a bunch of guys jumping up and down with stupid sneakers and a ball,” said Rihdan.

While music and television are often the first things people think about when discussing pop culture, fashion has also become a major part of the sports world. Athletes across leagues such as the WNBA, NBA and NFL use game day arrivals as a way to display their personal style.

More conservative leagues “steeped in tradition,” like the NHL, as the New York Times suggests, started the 2025-26 season with a removed suit-and-tie mandate, allowing players to dress more contemporarily. The overlap is also seen on global fashion stages like the Met Gala where athletes, such as Serena Williams and Lewis Hamilton, have become repeat guests.

As pop culture continues to intersect with sports, it’s changing the way people talk about them, according to Rihdan. Now, broader cultural references can make sports more accessible and easier to connect with.

“The conversations people have around sports have shifted drastically in my opinion,” said Rihdan. “Two, three years ago, if somebody wanted to talk about any sport at all, it was immediately using language that is specific to that sport.”

Rihdan said she’s noticed people now talk about players’ personalities, humour or sense of style too. Barriers around sport conversations have lessened because of other fans who entered the space through pop culture, she said.

“It’s not only me, it’s 10 other people that are viewing it through the same lens,” said Ridhan about having a community that also looks at sports the same way she does.

In terms of accessibility, pop culture has made groups of people who previously felt excluded feel more included.

“I never felt, as a woman, that I belonged in the hockey sphere,” Ptasinski expressed, explaining how negative conversations with male fans made her feel hesitant and discouraged about learning more. 

“Then Heated Rivalry became super popular and more women and queer people started getting into hockey and all of a sudden there was a space online I could go to and interact with people that weren’t mansplaining and super exclusive.”

Janine Schat, a second-year sport media student, said in male-dominated sports spaces, women often feel pressure to prove their knowledge just to be taken seriously as fans.

“Pop culture definitely opens that up,” said Schat. She adds that while misogyny still exists, pop culture and the communities that come from it have helped create sport spaces where fans feel more welcome.

As more fans enter through shows, fashion and online communities, the culture around sports continues to evolve. What once felt like an exclusive space is now shaped by pop culture, social media and new perspectives. 

For Ptasinski and Rihdan, pop culture was the gateway into a sports world they felt disconnected from. According to Schat, this gateway is helping create communities where fans no longer have to prove themselves to take part in the sport conversation.