Heated Rivalry is HBO’s latest viral hit – and it’s coming to Sky and Now in January

It’d be an understatement to say that the latest HBO show, Heated Rivalry, has caused a stir online. 

The bestselling adaptation, originally written by Rachel Reid, ticks many boxes. It’s an enemies-to-lovers LGBTQ+ story set against the backdrop of a sports setting – all with plenty of spice, of course.

The show follows Canada’s Shane Hollander (Hudson Williams) and Russia’s Ilya Rozanov (Connor Storrie), two hockey players whose relationship sparks fire both on and off the rink. However, the pair face the pressure of being in the limelight, and the repercussions that come with it.

If you’re keen to watch Heated Rivalry in the UK, we have everything you need to know.  

Is Heated Rivalry available to stream in the UK? 

At the time of writing, no UK streaming service is airing Heated Rivalry in the UK. However, there is now an official release date beyond… well, never.

Sky has confirmed that Heated Rivalry will land on it’s channel and the Now Entertainment Membership on 10 January 2026.

If waiting around until next year to watch Heated Rivalry sounds like a nightmare, don’t worry. There is a way you can watch it in the UK.  

How to watch Heated Rivalry on HBO Max in the UK 

We have found a way to sign up for HBO Max in the UK – you can do this by using a VPN to connect to the US version of the streaming site. But there are additional instructions you should be aware of, so make sure you read this all the way through.  

The first thing you’ll need is a good VPN. We’ve successfully signed up for HBO Max with NordVPN, which has consistently been ranked as our top recommendation thanks to its affordable pricing, wide range of servers and simple-to-use interface.  

Get nordvpn for £2.29 per month

Once you’ve signed up for your VPN of choice, you’ll need to connect to an American server (any city, it doesn’t matter which) on your phone and take the following steps:

Sometimes, the Google Play Store does not change to the US version, even when creating a new account.

The way to get around this is by connecting to a VPN on a PC, signing into the Google Play Store US website, searching for the app you need, and sending it to your phone (whilst still connected to the VPN). You can see an example using Peacock below:

There have been reports of users not being able to install HBO Max on iOS as the app store forces users to register their payment details and doesn’t accept UK PayPal if you try to register with this account.

To get around this, we recommend purchasing US App Store credit via a digital gift card – which can be added as a US payment option.

You’ll need a website that allows you to pay with UK bank details. The typical minimum amount you can purchase will be $25 – enough to cover one month’s subscription to HBO Max.

When the site asks you to put in the recipient, enter your own email address and the code to redeem the money will be sent to your inbox. Then when you need to add payment information in the app store, select ‘redeem gift card or code’, and you should be able to add the money as credit on your account.

With this, you should then be able to sign up for an HBO Max account. Once your account is active, you can change your payment information back to your UK PayPal via the website to avoid having to pay for a new gift card every single time.

We’d like to stress that all of these methods are technically against HBO Max’s terms of service, so the company could cancel your account at any time. Proceed at your own risk.