‘Heated Rivalry’ fans rejoice: Seasons 2 and 3 are being filmed, along with a holiday movie

“Heated Rivalry” was the breakthrough LGBTQ drama of 2025. Gay and straight viewers alike were addicted to the romance and the chemistry between the fictional athletes Shane and Ilya (played by Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie).

The series was almost immediately renewed for a second season. There’s even more good news, though: Deadline is reporting that the show filmed a third season back-to-back with the second season, and a standalone holiday film was also made.

Nellie Andreeva went into the details in her Deadline report. “The two seasons are currently filming back-to-back, sources said. As they wrap at the end of November or beginning of December, a standalone ‘Heated Rivalry’ film will shoot in December, I hear. Described as a Christmas special or a holiday-themed episode, it is planned for a theatrical release next December, I’m told. According to sources, Storrie’s Ilya and Williams’ Shane are not in it. Details are murky but I hear it is centered on the other Season 1 couple, Scott (François Arnaud) and Kip (Robbie G.K.), with additional characters from the series also featured.”

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The second and third seasons will be six episodes each, just like the first season, and the second season is planned for a release sometime in spring 2027, but there isn’t a confirmed or concrete date yet. Series creator Jacob Tierney said months ago they were targeting an April 2027 release date.

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While the show is a fun fling for a lot of fans, it has also made a dramatic impact on athletes’ lives. Series star Williams talked about closeted athletes reaching out to the cast and creators, saying how they connect with the show.

“They’re reaching out to Rachel [Reid], our author, who will then kind of relay these lovely anonymous emails,” he continued. “And sometimes they’re just reaching out privately through Instagram, and those ones are the ones that really just kind of hit you and go, ‘Oh, so this is a fun show, and it’s celebratory, but also sometimes it’s just hitting people right in the nerve.’”

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One could argue the series has helped make the NHL a more LGBTQ-inclusive league than its peers. The NHL has 27 teams that have announced or already participated in a Pride Night so far this season. This is much better than the NBA (17 teams).

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