The show Heated Rivalry has become the most popular non-animated series ever acquired by HBO Max, amassing over 600 million minutes of viewing time in the United States alone in just over a month. This level of success has surprised even the top executive at HBO. Casey Bloys, the Chairman and CEO of HBO and Max, has called the show a “social phenomenon” that he did not see coming.
The Canadian series, which follows two professional hockey players in a secret romantic relationship, premiered on HBO Max on November 28, 2025. It quickly grew into a major hit, with viewership jumping 400% in its first week and regularly ranking as a top-watched show on the platform. The show’s first season of six episodes concluded on December 26, 2025, and a second season was confirmed shortly after.
The Surprise Success and a Milestone Episode
Casey Bloys shared his reaction to the show’s unexpected popularity. He stated, “I did not anticipate that it would turn into the kind of the social phenomenon that it is”. The show’s performance has fundamentally changed how HBO views acquired content, proving that a story with strong appeal can succeed regardless of its original production label.
The series achieved a remarkable milestone by tying with the legendary drama Breaking Bad for a perfect 10-out-of-10 rating on IMDb for its fifth episode, titled “I’ll Believe in Anything.”. This episode is a pivotal moment in the relationship between the main characters, Shane and Ilya, and has received widespread acclaim from viewers.
A Quick and Unplanned Path to HBO Max
The journey of Heated Rivalry to American audiences happened rapidly. An HBO executive, having acquired the show for HBO Max in Australia, suggested Bloys watch it for the U.S. service. “He sent the episodes to me on a Friday, and then on Monday we started negotiating,” Bloys recalled. “It was an easy and very quick ‘yes.’”
Originally, the series was produced for the Canadian streaming service Crave and was not planned for a U.S. release until later. However, after seeing the finished product, the Canadian team moved the premiere date up repeatedly, ultimately launching it in late November to capture holiday viewers. This last-minute scramble made the international distribution deal with HBO Max a fast-paced effort.
A Faithful Adaptation That Found Its Audience
The show is based on the popular Game Changers book series by author Rachel Reid. The creator, Jacob Tierney, was drawn to the story during the pandemic and directly contacted Reid to acquire the rights. He and executive producer Brendan Brady worked with Crave to develop the series, choosing to stay very true to the spirit and content of the original books.
A key to the show’s success has been its balance of intimate scenes with genuine emotional storytelling. “It’s not just about the sex scenes… but obviously people are going to talk about the sex scenes!” said Justin Stockman, Vice President of Content at Bell Media. He noted that the show’s unique feel, combining longer intimate scenes with an underlying sweetness, resonated powerfully with its core audience.
The show’s appeal has been particularly strong among women, who are the primary fans of the original book series. This focus allowed the creators to serve a dedicated fanbase while the broader audience, including many in the LGBTQ+ community, discovered the show naturally.
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What’s Coming Next for Shane and Ilya
With the first season’s success, focus has shifted to the already-confirmed second season. The stars of the show, Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie, who play Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov, have both signed contracts for multiple seasons and will return.
Season 2 is expected to adapt the sixth book in Reid’s series, titled The Long Game. This story picks up with Shane and Ilya navigating their relationship a decade after it began, still largely in secret, and facing the ongoing challenge of balancing their love with their public hockey careers.
Showrunner Jacob Tierney explained the focus for the next chapter. “The journey of this show… will always be centered around the relationship between Shane and Ilya,” he said. He described the new season as exploring the adult question of “We love each other, and now what?”
Production for the new season is expected to begin in the summer of 2026, with a potential release in late 2026 or 2027. In the meantime, the entire first season of Heated Rivalry is available for streaming on HBO Max in the United States.
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