Heated Rivalry Returns: Crave Drops the Puck on a New Season

Crave quietly launched a hockey romance a couple weeks ago and it immediately caught fire. Now it has a new fanbase, a renewal, and a very funny date quirk. Let’s talk about Heated Rivalry.

The hook

Heated Rivalry is a drama about two superstar pro hockey players who start as rivals, secretly hook up as rookies, and then spend the next eight years trying to balance ambition, ego, and an off-the-books relationship. It’s a full-on LGBTQ+ romance baked into a very competitive sports world, and the show leans into both sides: the ice and the messy feelings.

• Where to watch: It premiered in Canada on Crave; HBO Max is handling U.S. and Australia.
• The setup: Based on Rachel Reid’s best-selling Game Changers novels.
• Who made it: Created for TV by Jacob Tierney (Letterkenny, Shoresy), who writes, directs, and produces.
• The leads: Hudson Williams as Shane Hollander and Connor Storrie as Ilya Rozanov.
• Season 1 size: Six episodes, about an hour each.
• The timeline: The romance spans eight years, starting with a secret fling as they enter the league.

How big did it get?

Big enough that Crave says it is now the streamer’s most successful original series on record. The platform also says the show grew its viewership by nearly 400% in its first seven-day streaming window after launch. One small oddity: they peg the debut as Friday, November 28, which… does not line up neatly with a calendar. Date weirdness aside, the takeaway is clear: the numbers skyrocketed fast.

Season 2 is a go

With those results, Crave has already ordered a second season. HBO Max will once again distribute in the U.S. and Australia, and Crave has teamed with program distributor Sphere Abacus to take the series to additional territories.

The industry pats on the back

Bell Media’s Justin Stockman (he oversees content and programming for Crave’s parent company) put it this way:

"Heated Rivalry represents the very best of what Canadian creators can deliver: rich characters, compelling drama and a world audiences want to live in. The response has been extraordinary, and seeing the series now travelling internationally is an incredible milestone."

Series creator Jacob Tierney and executive producer Brendan Brady are feeling the momentum too:

"Watching our show become an international phenomenon has been extraordinary. We are profoundly grateful to everyone that has been on this journey with us. Being renewed for a second season so early is a true honor, and we can not wait to bring you even more of what you love."

Bottom line

If you want a sports series that actually commits to the romance, this one doesn’t hedge. It’s sharp, it’s swoony, and judging by the numbers, it’s only going to skate into more countries from here.