HBO Max's Highest-Rated New Drama Is the Streaming Success Nobody Saw Coming

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An experienced Editor representing Canada via Screen Rant's Team Anime, J.R. has been reading manga since the first printing of Shonen Jump in North America. This passion drove him to write about anime, manga, and manhwa since 2022, having recently served as Lead Anime Editor for ComicBook.com.

His favorite moments in media coverage include reviewing the series premieres of Zom 100 and Bleach: TYBW Part 2 back-to-back and briefly meeting Junji Ito at a VIZ gallery event in 2023.

With an astounding 99% on Rotten Tomatoes, acclaim shared by critics and audiences, and a second season on the way, Heated Rivalry is the Canadian streaming sensation nobody saw coming. Originally released on Canada's Crave streaming service and becoming its most popular original series to date, it also dominated HBO Max thanks to strong writing and a spicy premise.

Heated Rivalry, focusing on the romance of fellow Major League Hockey players Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov, became a sensation as perhaps the biggest surprise in Western BL romance to date. However, with season 2 coming, and already hints of other romances intertwined from Rachel Reid's other books, the surprises won't stop anytime soon.

Heated Rivalry Is HBO Max's Biggest Streaming Surprise Hit of the Past Year

On top of Heated Rivalry's record-breaking success, it's also been strongly recognized by audiences by ranking as #6 on most popular TV shows on IMDb. This places the show among other hits like Fallout, Stranger Things, and fellow HBO Max hit The Pitt. However, Heated Rivalry also boasts the highest audience score, 9.0, in the top 10.

As reported by Deadline, Heated Rivalry grew its Crave viewership by 400% in its first few weeks, making a renewal the biggest no-brainer imaginable, especially given its enormous international success.

As even star Hudson Williams confirmed in his appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, even he wasn't prepared for the popularity/existence of hockey smut. Yet, between the romances clearly inspired by high-profile rivalries in the real-world NHL, and Rachel Reid's past as a fan-fiction writer, the series feels like a love letter to the AO3 community.

It's more than the flashy spectacle of such a series generating popularity for its explicit themes, though. There are surprisingly touching romances between Shane and Ilya, as well as Scott Hunter and Kip Grady, with plenty more from across the books. But for those seeking the next steps after Shane's tender moment with his parents, season 2 has the answers.

Warning: Spoilers Ahead for Heated Rivalry Season 1!

Heated Rivalry Season 2 Will Adapt The Long Game

Connor Storrie's Ilya Rozanov looks at Hudson Williams' Shane Hollander in Heated Rivalry poster

Following Shane's vulnerable conversation in which he confirms to his parents, with Ilya's support, that he is gay and in a relationship with his longtime rival, Heated Rivalry season 2 will focus on The Long Game, Rachel reid's sequel novel to their original story. Focusing on their secret dating life, the series approaches whether the pair will go public.

Given the important, landmark moment of season 1, episode #5 in which Scott, fresh off winning the playoffs for the New York Admirals, called Kip onto the ice to reconcile and share a kiss, this ripple effect will be felt in Heated Rivalry season 2. However, this presents unique challenges for Shane and Ilya.

The pair must already struggle with the deeply-rooted homophobia in male-dominated professional sports, particularly hockey. Additionally, with Ilya's background as a Russian national will make life dangerous for him in his native country should he come out. Hopefully, they can make things work with Shane's proposition for Ilya to transfer to Ottawa's MLH team, as Heated Rivalry moves forward.