Heated Rivalry Tops Streaming Charts

Canada’s latest hit, the six-episode gay hockey drama “Heated Rivalry,” is making waves on streaming platforms. The show, available on Crave and HBO Max, has seen a 400% increase in viewership in Canada. In the UK, there was a major bidding war for the rights, with Sky securing the series. In Australia, it debuted at #2 on HBO Max and has consistently ranked #1 for several weeks.

The real surprise has come from the US market. HBO aired the first episode on November 28th, just 9 days after acquiring the series for US distribution. Despite minimal marketing and unknown stars, the show’s opening two episodes drew in similar numbers to the network’s flagship medical drama “The Pitt.” Viewership has only increased since then.

MediaPlayNews reported that in the week of December 1st-7th, “Heated Rivalry” was the fourth most-watched streaming series according to JustWatch, surpassing popular titles like “IT: Welcome to Derry” and “The Beast In Me.” It remained in the fourth position the following week, competing with heavy-hitters like “Fallout” and “Stranger Things.”

The show was quickly renewed for a second season and stars Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie have already signed on for three seasons. Although filming for the next season is still in the works, fans can look forward to more drama on and off the ice.