Heated Rivalry: A new book on the story behind the sensation

This July, Sam Seder, co-host of the super-popular podcast The Majority Report , returned from a brief hiatus which he said was “for a small acting job in the upcoming second season of a popular show”. His co-host Emma Vigeland’s reply was immediate: “Oh my god, was it Heated Rivalry ?”. For the next 10-odd minutes, one of America’s most influential political podcasts was transformed into a fan show, discussing everything from costumes to dialogues and the much-clipped sex scenes in actor-director Jacob Tierney’s hit series about rival male ice hockey players who become soulmates.

It was a reminder of the broad appeal of the Canadian romantic drama, based on writer Rachel Reid’s Game Changers sequence of romance novels. Heated Rivalry , one of 2025’s most-talked-about TV series, has received widespread critical acclaim for its emotional depth, strong characterisation and storylines that avoid queer clichés.