Crave Greenlights Heated Rivalry Season Two

Heated Rivalry has been renewed for a second season by Crave ahead of its season one finale on December 26.

“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 of content and programming at Bell Media. “The response has been extraordinary, and seeing the series now traveling internationally is an incredible milestone.”

Sphere Abacus, the global distributor of the series, has secured deals for seasons one and two to stream on HBO Max in Asia, Latin America and Europe (excluding the U.K. and Ireland, Spain and Turkey). HBO Max U.S. and Australia, and NEON (Sky New Zealand) have signed on for the season two streaming rights.

The series was created by Jacob Tierney and is based on the book series Game Changers by Rachel Reid. The six-episode, one-hour romantic drama tells the story of rival hockey players Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov, played by Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie.

“Watching our show become an international phenomenon has been extraordinary,” said Tierney and executive producer Brendan Brady. “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 honor, and we can’t wait to bring you even more of what you love.”

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.