Heated Rivalry has become something of an internet sensation since its launch last week, but prospective fans in the UK have been left desperate for news on when the series will land on a streaming service over here. Adapted from the Game Changers novel series by Rachel Reid, it tells the story of Shane and Ilya, two rising stars in different Canadian Major League Hockey teams who fall in love and have a secret affair.
Starring Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie as the respective main characters, the first two episodes of the show landed on Crave in Canada at the end of last week.
But while international releases have been confirmed for other territories, the UK has had to go without, with no official word on any plans. But do we now have a big clue as to when it might finally hit our shores?
In the US and Australia, Heated Rivalry airs on the streaming service HBO Max, which does not operate in the UK... at least not yet.
Last night, it was confirmed that HBO Max is finally landing in British territory, as well as Ireland, in March 2026.
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According to Variety, this means viewers will be able to watch content from HBO, Warner Bros. Pictures, Warner Bros. Television, the DC Universe and Max Originals all in one place.
There's no word yet on whether Heated Rivalry will join its UK line-up, but is its inclusion on the platform in other territories an encouraging sign?
Whatever the plans, would-be British viewers have been taking to social media platform X to show their impatience.
"I wanna watch heated rivalry so bad but im in the uk," posted one person with a broken-heart emoji, while another said: "trying to act unbothered that I can’t watch heated rivalry in the uk so it comes quicker."
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People who have caught the premiere episodes have praised the "wild" chemistry between Williams and Storrie, and said they are "literally obsessed".
"Probably the hottest TV show of the year," said one person on X, while another shared: "The Heated Rivalry hype is SO DAMN VALID! I AM HOOKED."
The critical reception has also been warm, with the show currently holding an 88% score on Rotten Tomatoes at the time of writing.
International viewers will be able to enjoy the third episode of the show tomorrow (December 5), with new instalments dropping every Friday up until Boxing Day.
Heated Rivalry is not available yet to watch in the UK.
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Shaun is an Evening News Editor at Digital Spy, with over a decade of experience reporting on all things pop culture. He has written for outlets including Metro, Attitude, Huffington Post, The Mirror, Yahoo!, Pink News and Express Online, specialising in TV, movies, soaps, music and LGBTQ+ issues. He is also a BAFTA Rocliffe-winning scriptwriter, having written episodes of the soap Hollyoaks, the official Steps musical Here & Now and multiple Offie Award-nominated plays. He studied English Literature and Drama at the University of East Anglia, and will happily talk at length about Desperate Housewives to anyone who'll listen.
