‘Heated Rivalry’ Can Finally Dethrone ‘Ted Lasso’ as the Best TV Sports Series

Everyone is talking about one of the most impressive TV shows of 2025, and that’s Heated Rivalry. The TV adaptation of the novel series Game Changers by Rachel Reid premiered on Crave and HBO Max on November 28th, 2025, and quickly established itself as a must-watch series. Season 1 follows Ilya Rozanov (Connor Storrie) and Shane Hollander (Hudson Williams), the two most talented Major League Hockey players who can’t help their growing feelings for one another.

There are plenty of other TV shows about sex and intimacy, but Heated Rivalry‘s exploration of serious themes, its vulnerable main characters, and its sense of longing are something special. In a year jam-packed with good TV (and in a month that will see Stranger Things Season 5 Part 2 arrive on Netflix), it says a lot that people can’t stop discussing Ilya and Shane’s story. Thankfully, Heated Rivalry was renewed for Season 2, so when Episode 6, which is the Season 1 finale, streams on December 26th, 2026, it won’t be the last time we see these compelling characters.

‘Heated Rivalry’ Is the Best Sports TV Drama in a Long Time

Shane and Ilya playing a hockey game in Heated Rivalry

Heated Rivalry may pit Ilya and Shane, captains of the Boston Raiders and Montreal Metros, against each other, but they have more in common than they originally think. From their first meeting when Shane introduces himself to Ilya (who is overly confident, as usual) to their quiet intimacy in Episode 4, the characters are always doing their best to hide how lonely they feel, which speaks to the complex reality of achieving a dream.

Heated Rivalry focuses on the ups and downs of playing professional hockey and does an impressive job making it clear how stressful, exhausting, and panic-inducing it can be. Ilya and Shane’s lives consist of logging hours at the gym, signing deals with companies (which means Shane can only wear Reeboks from now on, as his mom explains in one key scene), and being asked the same interview questions over and over again. The best sports movies are stories of resilience, hard work, and belief, and Heated Rivalry paints an engaging picture of two young men and their desire to follow their dreams.

Ilya and Shane’s character arcs are focused on fame, celebrity, and money. Ilya sends money home to Russia so his brother Alexei (Slavic Rogozine) can take care of their cruel and unsupportive father, who has dementia. Shane does his best to stay calm while his fame rises, but he cares about the game, not living in the spotlight.

The series has become such a big success thanks to its themes of passion, intimacy, family, ambition, and success. Most importantly, it’s a beautiful and moving love story about Ilya and Shane. The characters have trouble admitting their feelings for each other and spend years hiding their hotel room hookups from their teammates and the outside world. Through their decades-long relationship, the series explores their experiences coming out and is an important example of LGBTQ+ representation on TV.

Every time Ilya and Shane kiss or are intimate, you want them to tell each other how they really feel, whether they’re sharing a sweet conversation on a Florida beach in 2017 or falling asleep together for the first time. While all five episodes are fantastic, most fans would agree that Episode 5, “I’ll Believe in Anything,” is the most special and significant one. Two big moments happen here: Ilya tells Shane he loves him on the phone (although in Russian), and successful hockey player Scott Hunter (François Arnaud) comes out on the ice when he kisses Kip Grady (Robbie G.K.). When Ilya calls Shane and agrees to spend time at Shane’s cottage, he’s as vulnerable as he has ever been, and they feel empowered. The show is realistic, however, and makes it clear they’re still full of fear and anxiety, and their emotions are treated with respect and compassion.

Yes, there are other shows about LGBTQ+ relationships, like HBO’s Looking, which aired for two seasons from 2014 to 2016. However, it was clever to decide to tell Ilya and Shane’s story through the lens of hockey. They’re uncertain that they can be out and keep their careers, and aren’t sure what others would say and think (and it’s hard to watch these scenes and not want to give them a hug and tell everyone else to just support them). They have a vulnerable conversation with each other about their sexuality, which is an important part of their journeys.

While every year sees some great TV adaptations of books, and readers of Rachel Reid’s Game Changers series (along with those who haven’t read it) are enjoying Heated Rivalry and how it puts the sex scenes front and center. Ilya and Shane aren’t side characters who are in the background.

Why ‘Heated Rivalry’ Is Better Than ‘Ted Lasso’

Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams as IIya and Shane on a couch in Heated Rivalry

When Friday Night Lights aired from 2006 to 2011, it was considered an excellent depiction of sports, ambition, family, and several issues affecting young adults. Since the show is so popular, it makes sense to make a reboot of FNL, especially since it’s known as a sports drama for people who aren’t huge sports fans. Then, when Ted Lasso premiered on Apple TV in August 2020, it beat FNL as the greatest sports show around.

However, Heated Rivalry is so much better than both of these shows, particularly Ted Lasso. The series starring Jason Sudeikis as a football coach who moves to England is known as a “feel-good comedy” about nice people and nice things. Sure, everyone loves to relax and watch a heartwarming story with cheerful characters. But is Ted Lasso about anything important, and does it even depict the world of professional sports all that well?

Plenty of comedies are sweet and charming, from classic ’90s sitcoms like Friends to more contemporary series such as Modern Family and Abbott Elementary. If a sports comedy or drama is going to really live up to its genre, it needs to really go for it, as Heated Rivalry does. Sure, fans are excited about Ted Lasso Season 4, but it’s hard to imagine it’s going to move anyone like Heated Rivalry Episode 5, which makes viewers tear up the entire time. The series shares Ilya’s grief over his father’s death, the pressure Shane feels to live up to his parents’ expectations, and their hopes that they can be themselves and play the game they love, too. It’s beautiful and wonderful, and let’s cross our fingers that they can find happiness in the Season 1 finale and beyond.