A Canadian television series about a secret romance between two male hockey players has become an international streaming hit in a matter of weeks. Heated Rivalry, which began as a novel and was adapted for Bell Media’s Crave platform, quickly expanded to become a top-performing title on HBO Max in the United States and other major platforms worldwide. Its path from a domestic Canadian production to a global phenomenon highlights a new model for distributing and discovering hit television content.
The series is based on author Rachel Reid‘s popular “Game Changers” romance novel series, specifically the book also titled Heated Rivalry. The story follows two professional hockey players: Shane Hollander, a Canadian star for the Montreal Metros, and Ilya Rozanov, a Russian captain for the Boston Raiders. Publicly, they are fierce rivals, but privately, they navigate a secret romantic and sexual relationship over many years.
The adaptation was spearheaded by Jacob Tierney, a creator known for Canadian hits like Letterkenny and Shoresy. Tierney read the books during the COVID-19 pandemic and was drawn to the material, eventually contacting Reid directly to secure the rights. He wrote the initial script independently, uncertain if the explicit and emotionally intense source material could be translated to television.
“I wrote the pilot on spec, because I didn’t know if we were going to get people to read this book — which turned out to be incorrect,” Tierney said. “Every exec at Bell has now read multiple books from this series.”
Bell Media’s development team, led by Rachel Goldstein-Couto, saw potential in the project. The company decided to move forward with production for its streaming service, Crave, with Tierney serving as creator, writer, and director for all episodes.
Financing the show presented a challenge. In the Canadian television model, producers typically partner with a broadcaster and then seek additional financial partners to cover the budget. However, according to Bell Media executives, potential partners wanted creative changes that Tierney and his team were unwilling to make.
Faced with this, Bell Media made a significant decision: to finance the project completely on its own. This move granted them full ownership and creative control, allowing the production to stay true to the novels’ dedicated fanbase. Justin Stockman, Bell Media’s Vice President of Content, noted that the confidence in the project grew as they saw early edits, transforming it from a perceived risk into a show they believed could find a major audience.
The commitment to authenticity extended to the show’s intimate scenes. The books are known for their explicit content, and the series does not shy away from this, featuring what critics and executives have described as graphic but narratively important sex scenes. The team was careful to handle these moments with a focus on character and emotion.
“I remember in the first reading of the script, [Tierney] actually put a note in the draft that was something like, ‘This reads really graphically, but it’s going to be handled tastefully. It’s not pornography,’” Stockman recalled.
Originally planned for a release in early 2026, Bell Media executives were so impressed with the finished product that they repeatedly moved the premiere date forward. They ultimately settled on a November 28, 2025 debut, aiming to capture audience attention during the high-viewership holiday period.
This accelerated timeline created a unique opportunity. With the show complete, Bell Media’s international distribution arm, Sphere Abacus, began shopping it to global buyers. The positive response was immediate. Just days before its Canadian premiere, a deal was struck with HBO Max for rights in the United States and Australia. Additional deals followed with Movistar Plus+ in Spain and Neon in New Zealand.
This resulted in a coordinated, day-and-date global release. On November 28, audiences in Canada, the U.S., Australia, Spain, and New Zealand could all start streaming the series simultaneously. This strategy is rare for a regional production and prevented the loss of momentum that can come with a staggered international rollout.
The show’s impact was swift and measurable. On its home platform, Crave, Heated Rivalry quickly became the most-watched original series in the service’s history. In the United States, it performed exceptionally well on HBO Max. Internal data indicated it became the top debut for an acquired, non-animated title on the platform since its launch in 2020. It consistently ranked in HBO Max’s top 10 most-watched titles and even briefly claimed the number one spot.
The audience demographics surprised some executives. While the show features a central gay romance, data and social media activity revealed a viewership heavily driven by women, many of whom were existing fans of Rachel Reid’s romance novels. This built-in fanbase, particularly active on platforms like BookTok (TikTok’s book community), provided a powerful foundation of support and word-of-mouth promotion.
“We were told that the target audience of these books is women, and I didn’t know how to believe, because it seems pretty queer,” Stockman said. “But when we started seeing the internet reaction, the vast majority before this show had actually dropped was from women.”
The show’s success was not limited to viewership numbers. It sparked significant social media engagement and discussion, with the chemistry between lead actors Hudson Williams (Shane) and Connor Storrie (Ilya) receiving particular praise.
The rapid success led to an early renewal. On December 12, 2025, just two weeks after its premiere, Bell Media and HBO Max announced that Heated Rivalry would return for a second season. Furthermore, the global distribution footprint expanded, with new licensing deals secured for territories in Asia, Latin America, and additional European countries.
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The business model has drawn attention within the industry. HBO Max acquired the series as a finished product, acting as a licensing partner rather than a co-producer. This allowed the creative team at Bell Media and Accent Aigu Entertainment to retain full control. HBO’s content chairman, Casey Bloys, expressed support for this arrangement, stating there was no need to interfere with a formula that was clearly working.
The show’s journey demonstrates a shift in how television content can reach a global audience. A series developed and produced entirely in Canada, based on a specific romance novel series, successfully captivated viewers across multiple continents through strategic partnerships and a simultaneous release model. It proved that stories with LGBTQ+ characters and nuanced romantic plots have wide, commercial appeal.
The first season of Heated Rivalry concluded with its sixth episode on December 26, 2025. Production on the second season is now underway.
Also Read: Heated Rivalry Episode 6: Season Finale Release, Ending Predictions and More
