“Heated Rivalry” continues to gain popularity more than one month after the end of its first season. As of February 10, 2026, the series is averaging 10.6 million viewers per episode in the United States, according to Warner Bros. Discovery. The show is produced by the Canadian streamer Crave and is available in the United States via HBO Max. The show premiered in November 2025 and quickly became a viral hit, with each new episode attracting a larger audience than the previous one. Heated Rivalry’s season finale, released on December 26, 2025, recorded an audience increase of more than 300 percent compared to the show’s premiere week.
The series is based on the “Game Changers” book series written by Rachel Reid. Meanwhile, the television adaptation takes its name from the first book in the series, which was originally published in 2019. The story follows Shane Hollander, played by Hudson Williams, and Ilya Rozanov, played by Connor Storrie. Both characters are rising stars in professional hockey and are connected by a competitive rivalry. The pair develops a casual sexual relationship that later turns into an undercover romance, which leads them through a path of self-discovery and love.
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HBO Max’s acquired gay hockey drama #HeatedRivalry has drawn over 10.6 million U.S. viewers to date—making it the streamer’s most-watched scripted acquisition ever, with audience numbers more than doubling since its Dec. 26 finale.
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Photo: HBO… pic.twitter.com/P74S1BpXEQ— TheWrap (@TheWrap) February 10, 2026
Over the course of eight years in the story, Shane and Ilya try to build their careers while dealing with their feelings for each other. The series focuses on their struggles with ambition, public pressure, and personal identity. The supporting cast includes François Arnaud, Robbie G.K., Christina Chang, Dylan Walsh, Sophie Nélisse, and Ksenia Daniela Kharlamova. Heated Rivalry was created by Jacob Tierney and produced by Accent Aigu Entertainment in association with Bell Media’s Crave. International distribution is handled by Sphere Abacus.
