Jacob Tierney says 'we don't have more money to make' season 2 of 'Heated Rivalry'

Heated Rivalry creator Jacob Tierney is opening up about the pressure, and limitations, surrounding the highly anticipated second season of the breakout hockey romance drama.

Speaking at the Television Academy Honors on May 20, 2026, Tierney revealed that despite the show’s global success and passionate fanbase, the production is not receiving a significantly larger budget for season 2.

“We don't have more money to make [season two] or anything like that. We're just kind of making the show again,” Tierney said.

The filmmaker added that there is something reassuring about returning to the same creative process that helped make the first season such a phenomenon.

“But I think there's also something good about that, in the sense that we're going back to doing what we did in the first place,” he explained.

Tierney also shared that he has already begun writing the new season and is enjoying revisiting the beloved characters.

“I'm writing it now, and it's nice to be back with these characters and it's nice to be telling the story again, or telling a new part of the story,” he said.

The creator admitted he is trying to ignore the outside noise and fan expectations while working on the scripts.

“And we're just going to go and try and do, I mean, I'm trying to put the voices away and just make the show. To do what I did last time, which is write the thing I thought was good and not think about the rest of it.”

Based on Rachel Reid’s bestselling Game Changers novels, Heated Rivalry follows the secret romance between rival professional hockey players Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov. The series stars Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie in the lead roles and became a major streaming success after debuting on Crave before gaining international traction through HBO Max.

The show quickly developed a devoted worldwide fandom, earning praise for its emotional storytelling, LGBTQ+ representation and depiction of queer athletes in professional sports. It also sparked intense online discussion and generated significant awards buzz during its first season run.

Season 2 will adapt Reid’s sequel novel The Long Game, continuing Shane and Ilya’s story as they navigate their relationship in the public eye while balancing the pressures of fame and hockey.