Heated Rivalry brings a slow-burn love story to HBO Max on November 28
If you've ever rooted for two rivals to finally admit what's obvious to everyone else, this one's for you. Heated Rivalry lands on HBO Max Friday, November 28, with a two-episode premiere and a short, focused run that finishes on Friday, December 26.
It's a six-episode season. New episodes roll out weekly in the U.S. and Australia, which makes this a tidy holiday watch-high stakes on the ice, higher stakes off it.
Note: There's a video trailer available below.
What the series is about
Adapted from Rachel Reid (movies and tv series)'s Game Changers books, Heated Rivalry follows Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov-two Major League Hockey stars who can't stand each other. Or maybe that's just what they tell themselves.
What starts as a secret fling between rookies turns into an eight-year push and pull: careers peaking, headlines buzzing, and two people trying to figure out if the thing between them is real- and if it's worth the fallout. It's messy, grown-up, and, honestly, kind of irresistible.
Who's making it
The series was originally created for Canadian streamer Crave by Jacob Tierney (movies and tv series) (Letterkenny, Shoresy). Production comes from Accent Aigu Entertainment in association with Bell Media's Crave, with international distribution handled by Sphere Abacus.
If you want to peek at the source material, Rachel Reid's official site has more on the Game Changers series. Visit Rachel Reid's site.
The cast
- Hudson Williams (movies and tv series) as Shane Hollander
- Connor Storrie (movies and tv series) as Ilya Rozanov
- François Arnaud (movies and tv series)
- Robbie G.K.
- Christina Chang (movies and tv series)
- Dylan Walsh (movies and tv series)
- Sophie Nélisse (movies and tv series)
- Ksenia Daniela Kharlamova (movies and tv series)
Release plan at a glance
- Two-episode premiere: Friday, November 28
- Weekly episodes after that
- Season finale: Friday, December 26
Why this could land
Sports romances have a built-in tension-every win and loss echoes off the ice. Put that against a secret relationship stretching nearly a decade and you've got something that can hook both romance fans and sports diehards.
Timing matters, too. A compact, six-episode run over the holidays invites viewers to catch up together, week by week. If the chemistry clicks, expect plenty of chatter and a bump in end-of-year engagement for HBO Max.
Heated Rivalry streams on HBO Max in the U.S. and Australia starting November 28.
Video: Trailer available below.
