https://www.businessinsider.com/heated-rivalry-took-over-internet-tiktok-instagram-how-2026-1

Jan 15, 2026, 2:01 AM PT

There's something different about the "Heated Rivalry" (https://screenrant.com/db/tv-show/heated-rivalry/) online fandom from what I typically see — something strange brewing in the feeds, something I haven't seen in a long time, or maybe ever.

It's easy for a topic to suddenly take over my Instagram Reels or TikTok feeds — those algorithms seem so sensitive that interacting with just a handful of posts on a topic can instantly send you down a rabbit hole. What made me realize that "Heated Rivalry" fandom was breaking through to some new level was that it managed to take over my X feed. X tends to be far more resistant to change on the "For You" feed, and seems to think I always want to see the most awful people saying the most infuriating things.

And yet in the dead week between Christmas and New Year's, something finally broke through — "Heated Rivalry." Videos, edits from the show, memes, jokes, discussion, breathless fanning out.