HBO Max and Crave extend Heated Rivalry

Bell Media’s Canadian streamer Crave has ordered a second season of buzzy drama Heated Rivalry, with HBO Max again onboard in the US.

The show, which is produced in partnership with Accent Aigu Entertainment, has become a global hit since its late November launch and is Crave’s top original ever across seven days.

HBO Max has picked up second season rights in the US and Australia via a deal with Bell Media-owned distributor Sphere Abacus, which has also struck a raft of other sales.

HBO Max has rights to both seasons in Asia (Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Thailand, Philippines, Macau, Sri Lanka, Nepal), Latin America, and Europe (excluding UK and Ireland, Spain, and Turkey).

Sky New Zealand’s Neon has also picked up the show and additional global partners, including the UK, are expected to be announced soon.

Justin Stockman, vice president of content and programming at Bell Media, said the show “represents the very best of what Canadian creators can deliver: rich characters, compelling drama, and a world audiences want to live in.”

He added: “The response has been extraordinary, and seeing the series now travelling internationally is an incredible milestone.”

Heated Rivalry was based on Rachel Reid’s six-part book series Game Changers, and was created for TV by Letterkenny’s Jacob Tierney and executive producer Brendan Brady. 

Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie star in the show, which follows the story of two rival hockey players who find themselves in a relationship that they do not want to become public.

The series is distributed internationally by Sphere Abacus.