Why Heated Rivalry will not be eligible for the Emmy Awards
The Academy has not yet published its 2025-26 rules, but changes to this requirement are considered unlikely
By Callum Wells
Heated Rivalry will not be eligible for the Emmy Awards due to how the show was financed and produced.
The sports romance, which follows the love story between two rival NHL players played by Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie, was produced and fully funded by Canadian broadcaster Bell Media, the parent company of streaming service Crave.
Although the series streams in the US on HBO Max, the platform joined the project only as a distributor after the first season had already been completed.
The Academy has not yet published its 2025-26 rules, but changes to this requirement are considered unlikely
Under current Television Academy rules, foreign-funded productions are only eligible if they are established as official co-productions with US partners before filming begins, with those partners involved financially and creatively.
The 2024-25 Emmy rulebook states that a “foreign television production is ineligible unless it is the result of a co-production (both financially and creatively) between U.S. and foreign partners, which precedes the start of production, and with a purpose to be shown on U.S. television”. The Academy has not yet published its 2025-26 rules, but changes to this requirement are considered unlikely.
Because HBO Max did not participate in financing or development, it holds no creative role on the series. That status prevents Heated Rivalry from qualifying for Emmy submission. Instead, the show would only be eligible for consideration at the International Emmys.
The same production structure will remain in place for season two, according to HBO content chairman and CEO Casey Bloys.
“We understand that everybody’s goal is not to have two years between seasons” – Heated Rivalry showrunner Jacob Tierney on the next installment
Showrunner Jacob Tierney recently shared an update on the next installment. Speaking to Variety, he said: “It can’t be the same time next year, because this time last year I’d written five of these, and this time this year I’ve written zero of them.”
Offering a rough timeframe, Tierney continued: “We understand that everybody’s goal is not to have two years between seasons.”
Williams also weighed in on what fans can expect from the second season, promising it will be “hotter, wetter and longer” than the first.
He told the publication: “Maybe someone has told me July or August, but I really don’t know,” he said.
It won’t be long before UK viewers can watch the full series. The show is set to premiere on 10 January on Sky and streaming service NOW.
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