Exclusive Streaming of 'Heated Rivalry,' a Sports Romance Drama That Has the World Enthralled, to Begin on U-NEXT on August 28

USEN＆U-NEXT GROUP's U-NEXT Inc. (Headquarters: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, Representative Director and President: Tenjin Tsutsumi) will exclusively stream the Canadian sports romance drama 'Heated Rivalry,' which has caused a social phenomenon in various countries, starting August 28, 2026 (Friday).

Spreading from SNS, achieving a global hit
The highly anticipated work will begin streaming in Japan on August 28 (Friday)

Called 'The world's most beloved queer hockey drama,' this work, for which Season 2 is already in production, saw its viewership rapidly expand through word-of-mouth on SNS when its streaming began in November 2025. It has also gained attention due to mentions by global celebrities such as Dua Lipa, Selena Gomez, Cynthia Erivo, and Elton John.

The work's popularity is also reflected in the numbers, with an average of 10.6 million viewers per episode in the U.S. The final episode saw a 300% increase in viewership compared to the first week of streaming, setting a record as the highest-viewed externally acquired work on HBO Max. It has also received high critical acclaim, with a 96% score from critics on the major U.S. review site Rotten Tomatoes.

In Japan, the work has been garnering attention even before its release, recording the highest number of requests for overseas dramas among U-NEXT members in 2026. The official X post announcing the streaming decision received approximately 780,000 impressions, over 6,000 'likes,' and approximately 3,600 retweets.

The secret love of two rivals in the ice hockey world

This work is a drama based on the second book in the best-selling novel series 'Game Changers' by Canadian author Rachel Reid.

Set in the North American professional ice hockey league MLH, the drama depicts two star players—Canada's Shane Hollander and Russia's Ilya Rozanoff—who have been secretly drawn to each other for approximately eight years since their rookie days in their teens, while sparking as the greatest rivals on the ice.

Under the pressure of being professionals, facing the wall of nationality, dealing with family conflicts, and the limits of maintaining a secret relationship—what kind of future will the two choose at the end of their eight-year journey of love and conflict? This delicate and passionate story has captivated viewers around the world.

Selected as torchbearers!
With the popularity of the work, the main cast becomes global stars

The popularity of the work has also increased the attention on the two lead actors. Hudson Williams, who plays Shane Hollander, and Connor Story, who plays Ilya Rozanoff, participated in the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics torch relay as torchbearers. The sight of the two, who played 'stars on the ice' in the drama, passing the torch in a real Olympic event, has caused a big stir among fans around the world.

Additionally, they appeared as presenters at the 2026 Golden Globe Awards and on the long-running American variety show 'Saturday Night Live.' Furthermore, in the fashion world, they have successively appeared in partnerships and campaigns with global luxury brands, expanding their fields of activity.

U-NEXT will announce the Japanese dub cast in the near future. Please look forward to the latest updates on this work, which is becoming more and more exciting as the streaming date approaches.

'Heated Rivalry' (Original title: Heated Rivalry)

[Streaming start date and time] August 28, 2026 (Friday), Episode 1 (subsequent episodes will be streamed one per week, total of 6 episodes, with simultaneous Japanese dubbing)

[Streaming format] All-you-can-watch

[Synopsis]

Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanoff, superstars in the ice hockey world, are known as rivals of the century on the ice, but they have secretly been drawn to each other since their teenage rookie days and have crossed the line. Under the pressure of being professionals, facing the wall of nationality, dealing with family conflicts, and the limits of maintaining a secret relationship—what kind of choice will the two make at the end of their journey of love and conflict that has lasted for more than eight years?

[Staff]

■ Creator, Screenwriter, Director: Jacob Tierney

■ Original Work: Rachel Reid 'Heated Rivalry' (Second book in the 'Game Changers' series)

■ Production: Crave / Bell Media × Accent Aigu Entertainment

[Cast]

■ Shane Hollander: Hudson Williams

■ Ilya Rozanoff: Connor Story

■ Scott Hunter: Francois Arnaud

■ Kip Grady: Robbie Graham Kunts

© 2025 Heated Rivalry Productions 1 (Ontario) Inc. / © 2025 Productions Heated Rivalry 1 (Québec) Inc. All rights reserved

About U-NEXT

U-NEXT is a video streaming service with the largest number of all-you-can-watch works. In addition to over 460,000 movies, dramas, and animations, you can also enjoy live music concerts and stage performances, as well as watch top-tier sports such as soccer, golf, martial arts, and tennis in real-time. Furthermore, over 1.29 million manga and books are also streamed, allowing you to seamlessly enjoy 'video,' 'books,' 'sports,' and 'live' in one app, delivering an entertainment experience that transcends genres. Through the service integration with Paravi in July 2023, U-NEXT has added a large number of dramas and variety shows from TBS and TX Network, offering an even more attractive service.

U-NEXT Inc. is a subsidiary of U-NEXT HOLDINGS Inc. (Headquarters: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, Representative Director and President & CEO: Yasuhide Uno).

U-NEXT: https://video.unext.jp

*According to GEM Partners as of May 2026

A survey of foreign films, domestic films, overseas dramas, Korean and Asian dramas, domestic dramas, and animations in major Japanese subscription-based video streaming services. Separately, there are paid works.