The “Heated Rivalry” phenomenon is paying off tenfold for HBO Max, with the gay hockey series surpassing 10.6 million viewers in the U.S. to date, per the streamer.
In a rare streaming viewership update for HBO Max, the streamer shared that “Heated Rivalry” has maintained its spot as the most-watched scripted acquired series in HBO Max history, thanks to continued buzz generating residual viewers two months after its rollout.
HBO Max touted that viewership for the series saw consistent week-over-week growth throughout its debut run, with the finale delivering more than four time the audience of the premiere week, but even more impressive is that viewership has more than doubled since the finale, which debuted on Dec. 26.
While “Heated Rivalry” has undeniably dominated the cultural conversation over the course of the past two months, the series also has yet to show up in Nielsen’s top 10 streaming lists as of the week of Jan. 5. Since “Heated Rivalry” is an acquired show from Crave, the series is competing against streaming juggernauts like “Bluey,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Bob’s Burgers” and “Law & Order,” among others.
“Heated Rivalry” premiered its first episode on Nov. 28, and rolled out its six-episode season through Dec. 26. By Dec. 12, Crave renewed “Heated Rivalry” for a second season, which will stream on HBO Max in the U.S. and additional markets.
“Watching our show become an international phenomenon has been extraordinary,” show creator Jacob Tierney and executive producer Brendan Brady said in a joint statement. “We’re profoundly grateful to everyone that has been on this journey with us. Being renewed for a second season so early is a true honour, and we can’t wait to bring you even more of what you love.”
