“Heated Rivalry,” the Crave original series about the passionate liaison between two rival hockey players, is one of this year’s biggest runaway success stories. It premiered on November 28; now, just four episodes in, it’s garnered unprecedented ratings in both the United States and its native Canada, becoming the second-most-watched series on HBO Max (after “It: Welcome to Derry”) and the most successful original show in Crave’s history. Thus, it should come as no surprise that Season 2 is already in the works.
Season 1 to End on Boxing Day, But Not the Series
“Heated Rivalry,” which takes place in the 2010s and stars Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie as captains of the Montreal Metros and Boston Raiders (respectively) who are carrying on a secret love affair while publicly duking it out in the rink, aired its most recent episode, “Rose,” on December 12. Two more episodes, “I’ll Believe in Anything” and “The Cottage,” are slated for release on the 19th and the 26th.
At present, the precise air date for the first episode of Season 2 remains unknown. However, for the people behind “Heated Rivalry,” the mere news of the show’s renewal is as gratifying and exciting as the instant prosperity of the series. Jacob Tierney, the show’s creator and writer-director, said jointly with executive producer Brendan Brady (via The Hollywood Reporter): “Watching our show become an international phenomenon has been extraordinary. We’re profoundly grateful to everyone that has been on this journey with us. Being renewed for a second season so early is a true honour, and we can’t wait to bring you even more of what you love.”
Streaming “Heated Rivalry”: Crave in Canada, HBO Max Elsewhere
In its home country, “Heated Rivalry” has been shown on the Canadian service known as Crave. Less than two weeks before its pilot aired, HBO Max obtained the rights to its American streaming. Both of these services will continue to stream the series in its second season. Per its deal with Canadian distributor Sphere Abacus, HBO Max also holds the rights to the show’s Australian streaming, and it will stream Season 2 in additional territories located in Latin America, Asia, and certain European countries.
Though “Heated Rivalry” is dually concerned with both Canadian and American characters, it is in some ways a uniquely Canadian hit: it’s based on the “Game Changers” book series by Canadian author Rachel Reid, and these books’ immense popularity in Canada (particularly on social media) created great pre-release hype that ultimately paid off spectacularly for the adaptation, which is now the biggest success story Crave has ever seen. Justin Stockman of Crave’s owner, Bell Media, has said (also via The Hollywood Reporter) that the series “represents the very best of what Canadian creators can deliver” and that “seeing the series now traveling internationally is an incredible milestone.”
Conclusion
“Rose” was notable for introducing a falling-out between the two romantic leads of “Heated Rivalry,” who begin having and seeking to have relations with women as a means of piquing each other’s jealousy. Perhaps this especially dramatic crisis will be resolved in Season 1’s final two episodes – but perhaps not. Will the season terminate in a cliffhanger (whether involving this or a new conflict) on which the fate of the principal relationship rests? One way or another, we can be sure that this love story has a big future ahead of it.
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