It’s rare that when we call something the “hottest new show” that we actually mean that literally. Heated Rivalry is definitely the hottest new show right now in terms of popularity, but it’s also by far the sexiest show of the year — and possibly of all time — with only two episodes released so far.
Based on the novel of the same name by Rachel Reid, Heated Rivalry centers on Canadian hockey player Shane Hollander (Hudson Williams) and Ilya Rozanov (Connor Storrie) as their adversarial relationship turns into a frenemies with benefits situation. Secret hookups, long distance pining, and battles on the ice add up to an electric romance.
If you have watched Heated Rivalry, then you know just how steamy the chemistry between Shane and Ilya gets. Even if you haven’t watched yet, you have most likely heard or seen just how intense the series’ get. Wondering if this is the show for you and how explicit the sex and nudity are? We’re sharing a spoiler-free guide to the show’s content!
Heated Rivalry rated TV-MA for language, nudity, and sexuality
According to HBO Max, where the series airs in the United States, Heated Rivalry has been given a TV-MA rating, likely for the content’s inclusion of heightened language, sex, nudity, drinking, and smoking. This isn’t a show that viewers under 18 should be watching and has been designated for mature audiences only. Let’s explain what to expect from the episodes and storylines.
Language, substances, and violence
Heated Rivalry contains frequent uses of profanity and expletives that aren't appropriate for younger viewers. The characters use casual expletives in everyday conversation, and much of the heightened language is also used to explain sexual acts and body parts. Some of these words are shown on screen in text messages rather than directly spoken.
Beyond language, the series also depicts the characters drinking alcohol and smoking cigarettes. These instances aren’t as frequent as other aspects of the show. There isn’t any violence in the series, but since it follows hockey players, there’s bound to be some violent situations on the ice at some point in the season.
Sex and nudity
Here’s where Heated Rivalry really earns its age rating. The series doesn’t shy away at all from depicting the sexual encounters between Shane and Ilya, which isn’t a spoiler to share. The sex scenes are graphic, and while they don’t feature full-frontal nudity (as of the first two episodes), there are frequent instances of male rear nudity.
To give you an idea of how graphic the scenes are, one of the first involves two men showering next to each other and checking each other out. One pleasures himself while looking at the other. The rest of the sex scenes are rather long since they are a big part of the story, which is different from what we might be used to seeing on TV.
The sex scenes leave very little to the imagination with realistic sound effects and affection between the two men involved. While there’s no full-frontal nudity during the sex scenes, one scene featuring the characters sexting shows a brief photo of a penis on the phone’s screen. The rest of the season will undoubtedly include many more steamy scenes on par or even steamier than these.
Watch Heated Rivalry on HBO Max in the United States. New episodes are released on Fridays.