Heated Rivalry creator Jacob Tierney has shared a hopeful update about season two’s premiere window.
After five weeks of yearning, passionate trysts, and heartbreaking moments, fans were finally treated to the last episode of the gay hockey romance drama on 26 December.
In ‘The Cottage’, Shane (Hudson Williams) and Ilya (Connor Storrie) escape to the former’s cottage for a private retreat.
The episode didn’t hold back on emotion, featuring everything from Ilya’s poignant reflection on his late mother’s suicide to the couple coming out to Shane’s parents.
Since airing, the season finale has been widely praised, with fans and critics applauding the writing, direction and the heartfelt performances of Storrie and Williams.
While the show is officially returning for a second season, viewers have begun worrying about the wait, with some guessing it might take two years, following the pattern of other series.
However, in a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, Tierney appeared to refute those claims, revealing that season two will not have an extended hiatus.
“It’s not gonna be two years. It’s not even gonna be 18 months, I don’t think. So we’re gonna go as fast as we can, while ensuring that we’re doing as good a job as we possibly can,” Tierney explained.
“There’s only so fast a track to go down when the show is written and directed by one person. I haven’t started writing yet. I’m going to. We are aware. We want to get the season out as soon as we can, as well, while also making sure that we give people a good second season.”
In the same interview, Storrie expressed his excitement to delve further into Shane and Ilya’s relationship dynamics in season two, which will be based on Reid’s book The Long Game.
“We’re in the real leagues now, and it’s cool to watch these people that have been in this heightened reality for so long. The other shoe drops that deepens the love, but that also tests some of their personal limits,” the 25-year-old explained.
Towards the end of the interview, Tierney confirmed fan speculation that Kip’s (Robbie G.K.) bartender friend Kyle (Matthew Finlan) is the same character featured in Reid’s other Game Changer novel, Common Goal.
In the book, Kyle becomes romantically involved with Eric Bennett, a seasoned hockey goalie with a heart of gold.
While Tierney confirmed Kyle’s existence in the Heated Rivalry TV universe, he remained tight-lipped on whether season two will explore his relationship with Eric.
“I don’t know what his love life looks like. I don’t know what that journey’s gonna be or when, but that’s the same Kyle for sure,” he explained.
Tierney, Storrie and Williams’ recent interview comes two weeks before Heated Rivalry makes its highly anticipated UK and Ireland premiere on Sky and NOW TV from 10 January 2026.
As per Deadline: “A deal in the UK had been expected for some time, with multiple buyers understood to have made offers. Comcast-backed Sky has now won out on the show, which is based on Rachel Reid’s Game Changers book series, following a deal with distributor Sphere Abacus.”
Stay tuned for more updates. Check out the rest of Tierney, Storrie and Williams’ interview here.
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