HBO’s Heated Rivalry Finally Meets Its Match With Prime Video’s Upcoming Spicy Sports Romance

4 days ago 7

Shane and Ilya nearly kiss in Heated Rivalry

Published Apr 19, 2026, 2:30 PM EDT

Dani Kessel Odom (they/them) is an autistic lead writer and TV critic who frequently covers sci-fi shows like Doctor Who and Pluribus, fantasy shows like The Magicians and Percy Jackson, horror, and superheroes. Their specialty is onscreen book adaptations.

They have covered events, such as the Denver Fan Expo. Their articles have also been shared by professionals in the field, such as Damien Leone and Lucy Hale. Their review for Ponies was quoted in the show's TV trailer.

In university, they majored in English Writing with a minor in psychology. They have always had a passion for analyzing TV and movies, even taking filmography and scriptwriting classes in university. They also studied and participated in onstage and onscreen acting extensively from the ages of 7 to 18.

Aside from working at Screen Rant, Dani has worked as a freelance editor and writer over the past decade, often in a ghostwriting capacity.

Heated Rivalry became a global sensation, but it has finally met its match with Prime Video’s upcoming spicy sports romance based on a bestselling book that’s utterly swoonworthy. HBO picked up the gay hockey romance show two weeks before its Canadian release, allowing international audiences to fall in love with Ilya and Shane.

Luckily, Heated Rivalry season 2 has been officially confirmed for an April 2027 release on Crave and HBO Max. Additionally, the actors signed a three-season contract, making it highly likely that we’ll get a third season. Based on the gap between seasons 1 and 2, a season 3 release would be around mid to late 2028.

The long wait might feel unbearable, but this gives other spicy sports romances the opportunity to swoop in and gain attention. One such adaptation is already confirmed. Prime Video’s Playing the Field will bring the spicy LGBTQ+ romance book Cleat Cute to the small screen.

Cleat Cute has been one of the most anticipated LGBTQ+ book-to-TV adaptations. The TV show will follow four players on a women’s soccer team as they live their messy and sexy lives. The anchor of the show will be the book’s central relationship, the rivals-turned-friends-with-benefits romance between the sunny prodigy team member, Phoebe, and the grumpy team captain, Grace.

With a long wait for future seasons of Heated Rivalry, the show has plenty of time to get things in order for an epic spicy romance showdown where everybody wins.

Hockey Goes Up Against Soccer In This Spicy Sports Romance Rivalry

Based on the sheer popularity of ice hockey romance, the Heated Rivalry show should easily win in the spicy sports romance rivalry. Aside from being spicy, ice hockey is probably the most popular sport for sports romance books and TV shows right now. The fast-paced action on the ice, paired with the slow-building relationships, creates a good ebb and flow.

Because it’s one of the most violent sports, ice hockey also makes it easy to feature the alpha-male and alpha-hole character archetype that’s so popular in romance. Heated Rivalry makes the romance story unique by subverting the alpha-male archetype with Ilya and the golden-child archetype with Shane. These story elements make Heated Rivalry the frontrunner in the spicy sports-romance rivalry.

However, Playing the Field actually has a good chance of being just as popular for a few key reasons. Soccer is the world’s most popular sport, with only a few countries favoring other sports, making it likely to attract an extremely passionate global audience.

Additionally, soccer has been growing in popularity in the United States, a key target audience for Hollywood productions, thanks to Apple TV’s Ted Lasso and the success of the US Women’s Soccer Team. Ted Lasso season 4 will shift to a women's soccer team, which will make audiences more open to the idea of Playing the Field. Add to that the high-adrenaline and fast-paced nature of soccer, and the story will keep audiences engaged.

On top of that, the Prime Video TV show will appeal to multiple underrepresented communities. The key couple is Sapphic, so it will attract many members of the LGBTQ+ community. Plus, the main characters in Cleat Cute are canonically neurodivergent. If they keep this in the TV show, Playing the Field will also bring in that community.

Playing The Field Will Be The Spicy Sports Romance For Sapphics

The Cleat Cute book cover shows two soccer players smiling at each other

A common topic of discussion in the Sapphic community after the release of Heated Rivalry was whether we had anything comparable. The answer was a resounding no, at least when it comes to onscreen representation. Bottoms featured Sapphic crushes and a fight club, but it was more of a comedy than a romance. Plus, it focused on high school teens.

The closest thing to a Sapphic Heated Rivalry would be the 2020 Canadian webshow Slo Pitch, which focuses more on softball than on Sapphic romances in a mockumentary style. There’s a little bit of steam. But the short-form show doesn’t have the same kind of emotional intimacy, the messiness of being competitors, or the healthy and spicy sex. Plus, it didn’t get the same kind of wide release as Heated Rivalry.

Slo Pitch is getting a reboot from Elliot Page’s Pageboy Productions with Crave as the Canadian distributor. The show does not have a US or global distributor.

Luckily, Playing the Field can give the Sapphic community their own spicy sports romance on par with Heated Rivalry. The book includes complex characters with emotional baggage and quirks. The chemistry between Grace and Phoebe feels just as authentic as that of Ilya and Shane, building over time into something more than just friendship.

The erotic scenes in Cleat Cute are just as good as those of Heated Rivalry. They’re clearly written for queer folks, unapologetically centering enthusiastic consent and sexual pleasure. It feels nothing like explicit lesbian content clearly focused on appealing to men.

What Spicy LGBTQ+ Sports Romances Should Streamers Adapt Next?

Kiss and Cry's book cover shows a pair of skates on the ice

If Playing the Field has just as much success as Heated Rivalry, the two shows could start a wave of spicy onscreen LGBTQ+ sports romances. There’s clearly an audience for these stories. What’s more, there are so many great spicy LGBTQ+ sports romance books out there that could be used for adaptations. However, certain books stand out as extremely adaptable for the small screen.

I’ll never stop talking about Kiss and Cry by Kiera Andrews, which would be perfect as a TV show. Not only are the romance and spice compelling, but the figure skating is also incredibly well-researched and written. Plus, Theo and Henry are the most lovable enemies-to-lovers couple.

First Position by Melissa Brayden could be another great, spicy Sapphic sports romance show, focusing on the athletic and competitive side of professional dance. The rivalry between Natalie and Anastasia will appeal to anyone who loves Grace and Phoebe in Cleat Cute, as both couples feature the grumpy-sunshine dynamic.

Edge of Glory by Rachel Spangler would be a fun sports romance show since it centers on two professional snowboarders. I'm not sure how marketable the TV show would be since the sport isn't as popular as hockey or skating. However, the story is definitely worthy of an adaptation.

Other choices that would feel less distinctive yet still appealing include Face Offs & Cheap Shots by Eden Finley, Pucking Around by Emily Rath, and Everything for You by Chloe Liese. The first two are spicy hockey romances along the same lines as Heated Rivalry, though Pucking Around is a little more unique since it’s a “why choose” polyamorous story. Meanwhile, Everything for You feels like the Achillean version of Cleat Cute. All three could succeed onscreen.