Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams took the stage at the 2026 Golden Globes for their first appearance at an award show following the viral success of Heated Rivalry. The duo’s appearance was teased ahead of the award ceremony hosted by Nikki Glaser,

The duo made their debut at the awards show to present Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role - Television amid the meteoric success of the series

The show, streaming on HBO Max, doesn’t have one of the biggest audiences, but viewership grew very quickly in just a few weeks.

CNN News Central’s John Berman, Kate Bolduan and Sara Sidner talk with actor Hudson Williams about HBO’s massively popular queer hockey romance, “Heated Rivalry.”

“Unrivaled” is the sequel to “The Long Game.” The popular series was based on the second book, also titled “Heated Rivalry.” “The Long Game” is the only other book by Reid that focuses on the story of Ilya and Shane.

Even though season two of the hit HBO series is still a ways away, Rachel Reid, author of the Game Changer book series that the show is based on, has announced a brand-new installment of the queer hockey romance. Unrivaled will hit bookstore shelves on Sept. 29, 2026 and is the seventh book in the series.

HBO Max's Heated Rivalry, based on Rachel Reid's Game Changers, has quickly become one of the most talked-about queer romance series of the year, earning passionate fan support, critical appreciation

The show, a sexy romance between two closeted hockey players, began on a small Canadian streaming platform, but has become a huge, unexpected hit.

Season 2 plot details are still under wraps as of now, but the next installment will draw from The Long Game, the sixth book in Reid’s series, which focuses on the next chapter in Shane and Ilya’s relationship. “Start reading The Long Game if you want to spoil it for yourselves,” Storrie joked in that Season 2 renewal video.

As HBO Max's sensational queer hockey series Heated Rivalry continues to top the streamer's platform and gain traction in pop culture, fans are discovering exciting behind-the-scenes facts about the s