HBO CEO Calls 'Heated Rivalry' the "Greatest Acquisition in History of TV"

It's no secret that Heated Rivalry is currently one of HBO's biggest phenomena. After taking over social media between the end of 2025 and the beginning of 2026, the production even won over the network's CEO, Cassey Bloys.

"Oh, I'm thrilled," said Bloys. "t’s the greatest acquisition in the history of television" He continued, "I have no doubt in Jacob’s abilities, so I’m eagerly awaiting the episodes."

Everything you need to know about season 2 of Heated Rivalry

The hit series is based on Rachel Reid’s Game Changers books.

In the plot of Season 2, Troy (Charlie Gillespie) is a hockey player trying to overcome a past marked by bullying, while Harris (Justice Smith) works as a social media manager. Their story will be told alongside the return of Shane Hollander (Hudson Williams) and Ilya Rozanov (Connor Storrie), the leads from the first season. Emily Hampshire, Edvin Ryding, Robert Naylor, Sabrina Jalees, and Priyanka Chopra are also part of the cast.

The second season will be based on the book The Long Game—the only other book in the Game Changers series featuring the same protagonists as Heated Rivalry—and will also adapt Role Model. The production also confirmed that the new episodes will premiere in spring 2027 in North America.