Heated Rivalry Renewed for a Second Season
Crave has announced that Heated Rivalry, produced in partnership with Accent Aigu Entertainment, has been renewed for a second season. The series has become Crave’s #1 Original series debut on record in the first seven-day streams, increasing its viewership by nearly 400% since premiering on Friday, November 28.
With global distribution led by Sphere Abacus, HBO Max in Asia (Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Thailand, Philippines, Macau, Sri Lanka, Nepal), Latin America, and Europe (excluding the UK and Ireland, Spain, and Turkey) has secured the rights to stream the series for two seasons. Additional global partners, including the UK, are expected to be announced soon.
Also confirmed today: HBO Max in the U.S. and Australia, and NEON (Sky New Zealand), which already exclusively stream Season 1 in those markets, have all committed to streaming rights for a second season.
“Heated Rivalry represents the very best of what Canadian creators can deliver: rich characters, compelling drama, and a world audiences want to live in,” said Justin Stockman, VP Content and Programming, Bell Media. “The response has been extraordinary, and seeing the series now travelling internationally is an incredible milestone.”
“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,” said show creator Jacob Tierney and executive producer Brendan Brady.
Created by award-winning Canadian writer-director-producer Jacob Tierney (Letterkenny, Shoresy) and based on the best-selling Game Changers book series by Rachel Reid, the six-episode, one-hour romantic drama follows rival hockey players Shane and Ilya.
In Heated Rivalry, Shane Hollander (Hudson Williams) and Ilya Rozanov (Connor Storrie) are two of the biggest stars in Major League Hockey, bound by ambition, rivalry, and a magnetic pull neither of them fully understands. What begins as a secret fling between two fresh-faced rookies evolves into a years-long journey of love, denial, and self-discovery.
Over the next eight years, the pair chase glory on the ice while struggling to navigate their feelings off it. Torn between the sport they live for and the love they can’t ignore, Shane and Ilya must decide if there is room in their fiercely competitive world for something as fragile and as powerful as real love.
Williams and Storrie are joined onscreen by an ensemble cast that includes François Arnaud as Scott Hunter, Robbie G.K. as Kip Grady, Christina Chang and Dylan Walsh as Yuna and David Hollander, Sophie Nélisse as Rose Landry, and Ksenia Daniela Kharlamova as Svetlana.
Rachel Reid’s Game Changers is a six-book series from Harlequin, and a USA Today best-seller that has earned critical recognition from multiple outlets, including The Globe and Mail and The Washington Post. The series has also achieved consistent Top 15 rankings in the Gay Romance category on Amazon, supported by a devoted fan following and strong critical acclaim.
Heated Rivalry is produced by Accent Aigu Entertainment in association with Bell Media’s Crave, with the participation of the Canada Media Fund (CMF) and the Bell Fund. Jacob Tierney is the writer, director, producer, and executive producer.
Brendan Brady is the producer and executive producer. Lori Fischburg is the producer, and Rachel Reid is the consulting producer.
For Bell Media, Alison Korogyi is senior production executive, original programming; Sarah Fowlie is head of production, original programming; Adam Feigen is development executive, scripted original programming; and Rachel Goldstein-Couto is head of development, original programming.
Brian Blazik is head of Bell Media sales, Sphere Abacus; Carlyn Klebuc is general manager, original programming; and Justin Stockman is vice president, content development & programming.
