Canadian drama sold by Sphere Abacus and follows distributor’s acquisition by Bell Media
HBO Max in the US and Australia has picked up Canadian drama Heated Rivalry following a deal with distributor Sphere Abacus.
The Bell Media ice hockey romance series is slated to debut on Crave in Canada on 28 November and will premiere on HBO Max on the same dates.
Elsewhere, Sky has secured rights in New Zealand, while Movistar Plus+ has acquired the series for Spain.
The sales via Sphere Media follow Bell Media’s acquisition of a majority stake in the distributor earlier this year, which handed it sales rights to the Canadian company’s shows.
The 6 x 60-minute show was created by Canadian writer-director-producer Jacob Tierney (Letterkenny) and is based on the book series Game Changers by Rachel Reid.
It tells the story of rival hockey players Shane and Ilya, tracking how what begins as a secret fling ignites into an all-consuming love story.
Justin Stockman, vice president of content development and programming at Bell Media, said: “These international sales are a testament to Accent Aigu Entertainment’s vision for Rachel Reid’s story and underscore the strength of our partnership with Sphere Abacus, and our shared commitment to bringing compelling, buzzworthy content to viewers worldwide.”
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