‘Heated Rivalry’ Keeps Scoring as It Crosses Major HBO Max Milestone

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Scott Hunter kissing Kip Grady after winning the Stanley Kip in Heated Rivalry Season 1, Episode 5.

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The Heated Rivalry fever is spreading, and it has infected HBO Max's global viewership. The spicy romance series has been on a roll since the television adaptation was announced, but its success has largely remained limited to North America. However, recent streaming data from FlixPatrol shows that the hockey drama's popularity is growing outside these geographies, reaching Asia. Heated Rivalry is the top show in countries like the Philippines, Singapore, and Taiwan, a feat that has allowed it to break into HBO Max's global top ten chart.

Heated Rivalry's success is one of the most remarkable stories of 2025. The show was adapted from a niche genre for Canada's domestic streaming service, Crave. However, the "Game Changers" book series, on which the show is based, has a dedicated following, and the fandom galvanized around it, finding Heated Rivalry a second home on HBO Max in the U.S. The premiere episode was met with open arms and took over the internet due to its raunchy nature. The series has continued to grow, with its fifth episode giving Breaking Bad a run for its money and recently entering IMDb's top 250.

Adapted from Rachel Reid's books by Jacob Tierney, Heated Rivalry tells the story of Shane Hollander (Hudson Williams) and Ilya Rozanov's (Connor Storrie) love story. The duo is at the top of their hockey careers and could use little-to-no disruption in their lives. However, they both develop feelings for each other as they start a sexually charged relationship. The show chronicles their decade-long love story as they confront the neglected parts of their lives before submitting to one another. Season 1 ended with Shane coming out and introducing Ilya to his parents, but their story doesn't end there.

'Heated Rivalry' Will Return

The show's record-breaking run earned it a swift renewal, guaranteeing a second season. The show's stars revealed they had signed a three-season contract, which extends the show for at least one more season after Season 2. However, all good things must come to an end, and Tierney knows this. "I don't think romance can go on indefinitely," he told Collider's Carly Lane. "At a certain point, you're doing a disservice to these characters by endlessly trafficking the will-they-or-won’t-they. I think that there's an expiration date." Heated Rivalry also stars François Arnaud (Scott Hunter), Robbie G.K. (Kip Grady), Christina Chang (Yuna Hollander), and Dylan Walsh (David Hollander).

Watch Heated Rivalry on HBO Max in the U.S., and stay tuned to Collider for more updates.