Heated Rivalry season 2 production, Digi Mart USA News: Filming of the second season of Heated Rivalry is underway, with a projected spring 2027 release. A year after the release of the now-iconic first season, producer Brendan Brady spoke about how he and his team are handling the pressure of following up such a breakout hit.
The six-part Crave series was released in November 2025 by producer Brendan Brady and creator Jacob Tierney. The team was not sure a steamy, queer hockey romance would resonate with viewers, but the show not only succeeded but soared.
It became Crave’s most-watched original series, and an average of 10.6 million viewers tuned in to each episode on HBO Max.
Fans worldwide watched the series and rewatched it, with a surge of repeat viewings. On Crave, about 33 percent of viewers rewatched episodes, and some 15 percent have watched an episode more than five times.
The lead actors, Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams, play smitten lovers Ilya and Shane. The second season is based on The Long Game, the sixth book in Rachel Reid’s Game Changers series, and picks up 10 years after the events of the series’ second book, Heated Rivalry.
Ilya and Shane are still together and closeted. Ilya, struggling with his mental health, wants to come out as a couple, but Shane is hesitant, worrying they will put their careers at risk.
Speaking at BookCon 2026 in New York City, Tierney said season two shows the men in a more committed and complicated relationship. “It really is different,” he explained, “and the challenge, from an adaptation standpoint, is you’re in much more serious territory.
There’s still lots of flirting, and there’s lots of sex, but it’s this kind of danger.”
Brady said it is crucial that the production team does not change how it makes the series. “There are eyes on us that we can’t help but feel, but we are trying to really protect the experience that everybody had on season one,” he said, describing a recent barbecue during filming as reflecting the relaxed, summer-camp feel of the first season.
Brady also said that, as a producer, he must prioritize efficiency alongside camaraderie. He rejected the idea that the crew is a family, preferring to think of it as a sports team in which players can be traded if they are not the right fit.
“It’s more that you’re not playing with us in the way we need to play,” he said.
Brady, who has worked in the industry for 15 years, shared advice he received: “Wait for L.A. to call you.” He said he has received many calls in the last year, but has bought a house in Toronto and is not moving.
