Fans of the HBO Max and Crave series Heated Rivalry can expect a second season to arrive in April 2027, according to announcements made Thursday on CBS Mornings.
Show creator and director Jacob Tierney and executive producer Brendan Brady appeared with Gayle King to discuss the highly anticipated continuation of the series, which follows the complex relationship between professional hockey players Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov. Tierney confirmed that writing for the second season is currently underway, with principal photography scheduled to start in August.
“There will be more Heated Rivalry on your TVs, like, truly, as soon as humanly possible,” Tierney stated. Brady acknowledged the wait, suggesting viewers “enjoy the yearn” while the creative team prepares the next installment.
Heated Rivalry, based on the “Game Changers” book series by Rachel Reid, has garnered significant popularity, averaging over 10.5 million viewers per episode in the U.S. Alone. Tierney attributed the show’s success to its focus on a classic romance narrative. “It has the hallmarks and trappings of a real classic romance, years of longing and yearning and trying to gain together and do the right thing for each other and not being able to, and then eventually a happy ending,” he explained. “It is laser-focused on that love story.”
The series, a co-production between Canadian streamer Crave and HBO Max, benefited from a pre-existing audience familiar with Reid’s work, according to Tierney. He praised Crave for “trusting me, but they also trusted the material and the audience already loved this,” adding that some underestimate the intelligence of the show’s fanbase.
Tierney emphasized the commitment to a faithful adaptation of Reid’s novels, stating, “This was a Canadian book. We’re Canadian producers.” He previously told The Hollywood Reporter that his goal was to “take it seriously, which is to say I don’t want to do what I think a lot of people do when they look at adapting romance, which is simplify, truncate, shorten.” Brady echoed this sentiment, stating they wanted to “elevate this to the level that it deserved.”
Reid is also continuing the story in her book series, with the seventh installment, Unrivaled, now slated for a 2027 release, coinciding with the expected television premiere of the second season.
The show’s stars, Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie, are also experiencing increased recognition. Williams has joined the cast of the Crave series Yaga, while Storrie is scheduled to host Saturday Night Live and is reportedly being considered for a role in an upcoming A24 film, Peaked.