Heated Rivalry: Season Two Details, Viewership Data, and New Projects

Season Two: Production and Story

Filming for the second season of "Heated Rivalry" is set to begin in August, with a projected premiere in April 2027.

The season will adapt "The Long Game," the sequel novel in Rachel Reid's Game Changers series, and will incorporate elements from the fifth book, "Role Model."

Showrunner Jacob Tierney stated the new season will place the central couple, hockey players Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov, in "much more serious territory," focusing on navigating a secret relationship. Tierney described the adaptation as presenting "really new challenges," with a central question being how the characters manage a relationship after the initial rush.

Regarding the inclusion of "Role Model," Tierney stated that storyline involves Ilya's new Ottawa teammate, Troy, and the team's social media manager, Harris, making Ilya a major part of that narrative. Tierney described the show's Troy as "a really damaged guy" and said the adaptation is "digging into that even harder."

The season is being co-written by Michael Goldbach.

Series Performance and Renewal

"Heated Rivalry" premiered on HBO Max in the United States in late November.

• According to HBO's first-party data, the first season achieved an average of 9 million viewers per episode in the U.S. over a 90-day measurement period.
• A separate report from the show's creator cites an average of 10.6 million U.S. viewers per episode.

Despite this viewership, the series did not appear in Nielsen's top 10 streaming charts during its initial run. Nielsen classifies "Heated Rivalry" as an acquired series for HBO Max because it originated with the Canadian streamer Crave. The criteria for ranking in the top 10 acquired series are higher than for originals.

HBO Max acquired the U.S. rights to the series just nine days before its premiere.

The series has been renewed for a second season by both Crave, which commissioned it, and HBO Max.

Related Developments

Netflix has given a straight-to-series order to "Alexander," a drama about the teenage years of Alexander the Great, developed by Jacob Tierney and Brendan Brady. Tierney will write and direct the series, an adaptation of Annabel Lyon's novel "The Golden Mean."

The project moved forward following the success of "Heated Rivalry."

Author Rachel Reid has announced that the seventh book in the Game Changers series, "Unrivaled," which continues Shane and Ilya's story, is scheduled for release in June 2027.

• Hudson Williams, who portrays Shane Hollander, has joined the cast of the Crave series 'Yaga'.
• Connor Storrie, who portrays Ilya Rozanov, is scheduled to host 'Saturday Night Live' and is reportedly being considered for a role in an A24 film.