12 TV Shows Like ‘Heated Rivalry’ You Should Watch Next
I have a famous (or so I’m told) hockey star in my Canadian family, and yet I’ve spent more time watching hockey on the popular HBO Max streaming service “Heated Rivalry” than I have in the stands of any actual rink or ice rink where people are throwing pucks around. It’s not that I learned anything more about the game after watching it, because frankly, that’s not what we’re here for, and that’s not what all the hype is about.
The series “Intense Rivalry” chronicles the intensely passionate relationship between Shane (Hudson Williams), captain of the Japanese-Canadian team, and Ilya (Connor Storry), a headstrong Russian who plays for the other team (that’s not a euphemism). Although their public relationship remains strained for years, they develop a casual (at least initially) sexual relationship that, despite the frosty atmosphere, grows increasingly passionate and romantic. Equally compelling is the series’ complex plot about the relationship between the American team captain and the smoothie barista.
In a streaming world increasingly inclined toward retrograde approaches, “Heated Rivalry” managed to attract attention and earn a renewal by being the most explicit and gay show on the show. After watching all the episodes, you might want to check out one of these racy, similar series.
Yuri on Ice (2016)
From raunchy gay hockey in Canada to raunchy gay figure skating in Japan, it’s just a short flight away, and yet Yuri on Ice was just waiting to be rediscovered. One of the best critically acclaimed anime of the last ten years, it follows 23-year-old figure skater Yuri Katsuki as he returns to his hometown in Kyushu. His impromptu performance goes viral and attracts the attention of Victor, a former champion who hopes to help Yuki revive his career. The developing relationships are complex and captivatingly intricate, and the animation is superb; the series also deserves high praise for its precision, from both the skaters… and the pole dancers . Watch Yuri on Ice on Hulu and Crunchyroll .
A League of Their Own (2022)
The year’s standout series, which was of course canceled, is a sequel to the 1992 film of the same name, delving into the true story of the 1943 Rockford Peaches, an all-female professional baseball team. Abbi Jacobson, Chanté Adams, and D’Arcy Carden play Carson, Max, and Greta—all three characters who are members of the LGBTQ+ community, either comfortable with or in the process of exploring their sexuality. Lest this sound like some kind of ultra-progressive revisionism, the series, while heavily fictionalized, is much more accurate in its portrayal of the Peaches’ LGBTQ+ cast than the previous film (despite its cast including Rosie O’Donnell and Madonna). Watch A League of Their Own on Prime Video .
Olympus (2025)
Sex, desire, and queer aspirations in the intense world of competitive sports? Sounds promising. This Spanish-language series follows young athletes from the Iberian high-performance center (better them than me) as they strive to become the best in their respective sports and, with luck, secure sponsorship deals with the eponymous global fashion brand. The central, passionate, yet secret relationship is between Roque Perez (Agustín Della Corte) and Sebas Senghor (Juan Perale)—imagine “Heavy Rivalry,” but in Spanish and with rugby elements.Watch Olimpo on Netflix .
The twenties (2020–2021)
Lena Waithe created this comedy about Hattie, an aspiring screenwriter and queer woman of color, who struggles to live and work in Los Angeles with her straight best friends, Marie (Christina Elmore) and Nia (Gabrielle Graham). The film is lighthearted and funny, depicting the friends who spend as much time making fun of each other as they do working, yet it also captures the sense of how these young people struggle to succeed in a highly competitive environment. Watch Twentysomethings on Paramount+ and BET+ .
Yellow Wasps (2021 – )
This time-traveling survival drama is tonally out of line with expectations, but I’m including it for its combination of sports and queer characters, particularly the leads Taissa (Jasmine Savoy Brown) and Van (Liv Hewson). The series follows a group of teenage girls stranded in the wilderness on their way to a soccer match in 1996, committing horrific acts to survive—the extent of which we only learn about through flashbacks to the present, where the events of those 19 months continue to resonate. The series has subtle hints of the supernatural, and many of the horrors unfold in the past, which continues to unravel in the fourth and final season. The show, rather cynically, asserts that there’s a vast difference between the version of the past we talk about and the one that actually happened. Watch Yellowjackets on Paramount+ andNetflix (first two seasons).
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The Young Royals (2021–2024)
In the gripping series The Young Monarchs , Wilhelm (Edwin Ryding), a fictional prince of Sweden, begins a romance with another student, Simon Eriksson (Omar Rudberg), at their elite boarding school. It’s no hockey game, but there’s a fierce rivalry between these attractive young LGBTQ+ individuals and their classmates. While possessing all the compelling qualities of the teen drama genre, The Young Monarchs takes itself a little more seriously than some other series and is surprisingly refreshing in its commitment to casting age-appropriate actors in all the key roles.Watch The Young Monarchs on Netflix.
GLOW (2017–2019)
A hilarious comedy-drama set in the 1980s, GLOW (Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling) stars Alison Brie as Ruth Wilder, a serious but unemployed actress who signs on to work for the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling (GOW), a fictionalized version of the real-life wrestling organization of the same name. The series boasts high-octane drama, period-correct ambiance, and a willingness to crack a few jokes, as does its diverse cast of queer characters: the burgeoning relationship between Yolanda (Shakira Barrera) and Artie (Sunita Mani) plays a prominent role; meanwhile, wrestling producer Bash explores his own sexuality amid the Reagan-era AIDS crisis.Watch GLOW on Netflix .
Shorsi (2022 – )
Let’s say you like “Heated Rivalry” because of the hockey. Okay, sure. To each his own. If so, this (mostly standalone) “Letterkenny” spinoff is a great choice, as it’s created by and stars Jared Keeso, who also plays the title character. A veteran hockey player moves to small-town Sudbury, Ontario, after making a bet he can save the struggling Sudbury Bulldogs. The comedy is simultaneously cheeky and sweet (think “Ted Lasso “), with some solid LGBTQ representation among the supporting characters. Perhaps more importantly, it features executive producer and frequent director Jacob Tierney, who also created ” Heated Rivalry.” Watch “Shoresy” on Hulu .
Overcompensation (2025 – )
Comedian Benito Skinner plays himself, sort of, in this acclaimed comedy about a former high school athlete who begins his freshman year of college desperately trying to convince himself and everyone else that he’s completely straight (understandable, if not for the jock part). Much of the appeal lies in its clever mix of tones: it’s often a frank college comedy and simultaneously a sweet coming-of-age story about accepting yourself without worrying about what others think. The cast includes Adam DiMarco ( White Lotus ) and Rish Shah ( Ms. Marvel ), and like Heated Rivalry , it’s a streaming series with gay leads that has already been renewed. Watch Overcompensation on Prime Video .
Given (2019)
Another BL anime (like “Boy’s Love,” a significant subgenre), Given tells the story of four adults who band together to form a rock band of the same name. Music bonds the characters and helps them cope with past traumas. The manga on which the series is based interweaves several storylines related to homosexuality, but the anime focuses on the developing relationship between Ritsuka and Mafuyu, whose guitarist boyfriend committed suicide. Like Heated Rivalry , it explores complex relationships under high pressure. Given can be streamed on Crunchyroll or purchased on Prime Video .
Boots (2025)
Last season saw the release of several impressive LGBTQ+-themed series, and Boots generated a lot of buzz, beating out Pluribus and Heat Rivalry by about a month. Alas, while those two series survived (more than) the annual streaming platform purge, Boots never quite made it out of the camp. Based on the memoir by Greg Cope White, the Netflix series tells the story of Cameron Cope, a closeted gay teenager who follows his best friend into the military in the pre-“Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” era, long before open service became a possibility.Watch Boots on Netflix .
Heartstopper (2022 – )
“Heartstopper” is the inspiring coming-of-age story of teenage love we all desperately need right now. It’s more kissing and meaningful glances than the passionate, forbidden sex of “Heated Rivalry” —and make of that what you will. While the show never glosses over the dangers of homophobia, it also doesn’t wallow in tragedy. Kit Connor and Joe Locke deliver sensitive (and often very funny) performances in a show that’s almost always full of smiles without feeling saccharine.Watch “Heartstopper” on Netflix .