12 Shows Like 'Heated Rivalry' You Should Watch Next

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My Canadian in-laws include a famous (I'm told) ice hockey star, and yet I've still spent more time engaging with hockey via the HBO Max streaming sensation Heated Rivalry than from the stands of any actual court or rink or whatever it is you call the place where people pass around their pucks. Not that I know any more about the game after watching, because frankly, that's not why we're here, nor is that what the buzz is all about.

Heated Rivalry is all about the very horny relationship between Japanese-Canadian team captain Shane (Hudson Williams) and Ilya (Connor Storrie), a headstrong Russian playing for a different team (not a euphemism). Even as their public relationship remains contentious over a period of years, the two develop a casual (at least at first) sexual relationship that grows increasingly sweaty and romantic, ice notwithstanding. Not to be outdone, the show also traces the complicated relationship between an American team captain and a smoothie barista.

In the increasingly backward-looking world of streamer programming, Heated Rivalry managed to draw eyes and a renewal by being the horniest, gayest show out there. Once you've binged it, you can follow up with one of these steamy streamalikes.

Yuri on Ice (2016)

It's a short flight from horny gay ice hockey in Canada to horny gay figure skating in Japan and, yet, Yuri on Ice has just been sitting there waiting to be rediscovered. One of the best-reviewed anime of the last decade or so, the show finds defeated 23-year-old skater Yuri Katsuki returning to his hometown in Kyushu before an impromptu routine goes viral and draws the attention of Victor, a former champ who hopes to coach Yuki to revive his own career. The developing relationship is complex and compellingly twisty, and the animation is gorgeous; the show also gets a lot of credit for accuracy from both figure skaters...and pole dancers. Stream Yuri on Ice on Hulu and Crunchyroll.

A League of Their Own (2022)

A standout of its year that, of course, got cancelled, the show expands on the 1992 film of the same name, diving further into the real-life story of the Rockford Peaches, women's professional baseball team in 1943. Abbi Jacobson, Chanté Adams, and D'Arcy Carden star as Carson, Max, and Greta, all three characters queer, either comfortably or in a process of exploration. Lest that sounds like some kind of ultra-woke revisionism, the show, while highly fictionalized, approaches the LGBTQ+ makeup of the Peaches far more accurately than did the earlier movie (despite including both Rosie O'Donnell and Madonna among its cast). Stream A League of Their Own on Prime Video.

Olympo (2025)

Sex, desire, and queer longing in the high-pressure world of competitive sports? Sounds like a theme. This Spanish-language show involves young athletes at the Pirineos Center of High Performance (better them than me), battling to be the best in their respective sports and, with a bit of luck, earning sponsorship deals with the global fashion brand of the title. The central, steamy, but secretive relationship is between Roque Pérez (Agustín Della Corte) and Sebas Senghor (Juan Perale)—think Heated Rivalry, but in Spanish and with rugby. Stream Olympo on Netflix.

Twenties (2020 – 2021)

Lena Waithe created this comedy following Hattie, an aspiring screenwriter and queer Black woman navigating life and work in LA with her straight besties, Marie (Christina Elmore) and Nia (Gabrielle Graham). The tone is loose and funny, involving friends who spend as much time trash-talking as they do working, but there's still a sense of young people in a hyper-competitive industry fighting to make it. Stream Twenties on Paramount+ and BET+.

Yellowjackets (2021 – )

Tonally, this time-jumping survival drama is a total mismatch, but I'm throwing it in the mix for its blend of sports and queer characters, especially leads Taissa (Jasmin Savoy Brown) and Van (Liv Hewson). The show is about a group of teenage girls becoming stranded in the wilderness on the way to a soccer match in 1996 and doing terrible things to survive—the extent of which we only learn about via flashbacks from the present, where the events of those 19 months continue to have an impact. There are ambiguous teases of the supernatural, and plenty of horror unfolds in a past that we're still seeing fleshed out going into the fourth and final season. The show rather cynically posits that there's a huge difference between the version of the past we talk about and the one that really happened. Stream Yellowjackets on Paramount+ and Netflix (for the first two seasons).

Young Royals (2021 – 2024)

Steamy soap Young Royals follows Wilhelm (Edvin Ryding), the fictional prince of Sweden, as he embarks on a romance with another student, Simon Eriksson (Omar Rudberg), at their elite boarding school—it's not hockey, but there's no shortage of intense competition among these attractive young queers and their classmates. While possessed of all the addictive qualities of the teen drama genre, Young Royals takes itself a bit more seriously than some, and feels remarkably fresh in its commitment to casting age-appropriate actors in all the key roles. Stream Young Royals on Netflix.

GLOW (2017 – 2019)

A fun comedy-drama set during the 1980s, GLOW’s ensemble is lead by Alison Brie as Ruth Wilder, a serious yet very out-of-work actor who signs on with Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling, a fictionalized version of the real sports organization of the same name. The show’s heightened drama, period detail, and willingness to be a little silly were highlights, as were the multiple queer characters: the growing relationship between Yolanda (Shakira Barrera) and Arthie (Sunita Mani) is a prominent focus; menwhile, Bash, the wrestling producer, explores his own sexuality amid the Reagan-era AIDS crisis. Stream GLOW on Netflix.

Shoresy (2022 – )

Let's say that you're into Heated Rivalry for the hockey. Which: sure. To each their own. If so, you could do a lot worse than this (largely standalone) Letterkenny spin-off, starring and created by Jared Keeso, who also plays the title character. The veteran player moves to the small-ish city of Sudbury, Ontario after making a bet that he can save the struggling Sudbury Bulldogs. The comedy is simultaneously raunchy and sweet (think Ted Lasso), with some solid queer rep among some of the secondary characters. More to the point, perhaps, is the involvement of executive producer and frequent director Jacob Tierney, who just happens to have also created Heated Rivalry. Stream Shoresy on Hulu.

Overcompensating (2025 – )

Comedian Benito Skinner plays himself, kinda, in this buzzy comedy that sees a former high school jock facing his freshman year in college while desperately trying to convince himself and everyone else that he's as straight as they come (relatable, except for the jock part). Much of the appeal is in its deft blending of tones: It's a frequently raunchy college comedy, and simultaneously a sweet coming-of-age story about accepting yourself without worrying about what everyone else thinks. The cast includes Adam DiMarco (The White Lotus) and Rish Shah (Ms. Marvel) and, just like Heated Rivalry, it's a streaming show with queer leads that's actually been renewed. Stream Overcompensating on Prime Video.

Given (2019)

Another BL anime (as in "Boy's Love," a significant sub-genre), Given follows four adults who come together to form the titular rock band, with music connecting the characters while also helping them to navigate past trauma. The manga on which the show is based interweaves several gay storylines, but the anime puts a focus on the growing relationship between Ritsuka and Mafuyu, whose guitarist boyfriend died by suicide. In common with Heated Rivalry, it's about navigating a complicated relationship in a high-pressure environment. Stream Given on Crunchyroll or buy it from Prime Video.

Boots (2025)

There were a few impressive LGBTQ+ shows this past season, with Boots generating buzz and predating both Pluribus and Heated Rivalry by just about a month. Alas, while those two survived the (more than) annual streaming purge, Boots didn't make it out of camp. Based on a memoir from Greg Cope White, the Netflix series stars Miles Heizer as Cameron Cope, a closeted gay teen who follows his bestie into the Army in the era before "Don't ask, don't tell," and well before serving in the open was a possibility. Stream Boots on Netflix.

Heartstopper (2022 – )

The affirming coming-of-age/queer teen love story that we all kinda need right about now, Heartstopper is more about kisses and significant glances than it is about the hot, illicit sex of Heated Rivalry—and do with that what you will. While it never soft-peddles the dangers of homophobia, it likewise doesn’t wallow in tragedy. Kit Connor and Joe Locke deliver sensitive (and often very funny) performances in a show that’s nearly all smiles without feeling treacly. Stream Heartstopper on Netflix.