"The publishers of the book series by Rachel Reid, on which the show is based, hadn't even arranged for fresh cover art to directly tie the Game Changers novels to the on-screen series by, say, featuring an image of the lead actors-something typical in the publishing industry for film and TV adaptations-let alone ordered a massive print run of new copies."
"Instead, the pilot of the steamy gay hockey drama was screened as part of a queer film festival in the auditorium of a public university in Montréal, where the show's stars and creative team posed on a few yards of blue carpet that admittedly looked rather tragic. Outside of Canada, the two lead actors-Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie, both unknowns-had done no real press to speak of in order to promote the show."
A pilot premiered modestly at a queer film festival in Montréal with a small blue carpet and little traditional publicity. The two lead actors were largely unknown outside Canada, and a Crave-to-HBO Max distribution deal was finalized only days before release. Publishers did not prepare new tie-in covers or large print runs. Despite the low-key rollout, the series became the biggest original debut on Crave and one of HBO Max's strongest scripted acquired debuts, secured an early renewal, drove the original novel to widespread sellouts, and rapidly elevated the actors' public profiles and social followings.
Read at Slate Magazine
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