The 2026 Olympic Games are underway in Milan, Italy, with over 116 medal events. Fans are enthralled by the competition, evoking feelings of national pride. At the same time, “Heated Rivalry” hit the screens at the end of Dec. 2025, leaving watchers in a chokehold. The two offer intense competitive stakes, making the shows extremely nerve-racking. However, there is one thing that “Heated Rivalry” offers that the Olympics does not: internal stakes.
In the Olympics, the main focus is winning versus losing. Which nation will receive which metals, and who will crash and burn? In “Heated Rivalry,” the conflict centers on coming out, career consequences, fear of rejection and vulnerability, while offering a competitive and national element between Shane Hollander, a Canadian who plays for Montreal, and Ilya Rozanov, a Russian who plays for Boston. Because of this, “Heated Rivalry” appeals to sports audiences, LGBTQ+ audiences and people just looking for drama and romance.
Also, the secret, slow-burning romance in “Heated Rivalry” is layered and complex, so it is more satisfying when the relationship earns depth by the end. Hollander and Rozanov’s relationship grows over eight to ten years, with them secretly meeting whenever their teams happen to cross paths and play each other. Because of this, for years of their relationship, they could not live their lives as a normal couple, so seeing them actually spending their summer vacation together at the end of the first season was extremely fulfilling. Similarly, seeing which Olympic athletes fulfill their goals and which end their careers is equally enthralling, especially if they are older athletes who have competed in the Olympics before.
It is nice to be able to see the athletes at different stages of maturity in both series, but it is easier to do so in “Heated Rivalry,” where Rozanov and Hollander’s relationship develops over the years, is the main plotline. At the beginning of the story, they are entering their rookie seasons in hockey. By the end, they had each won at least one Stanley Cup and several awards. However, if you follow the Olympic athletes’ progress over their careers or do some research it can be just as captivating.
Something that “Heated Rivalry” offers that the Olympics do not is media pressure, as we play the role of the media in the Olympics and see the events through that lens. However, “Heated Rivalry” shows us what it is like to be on the other end of that dynamic, bringing to light the mental toll of building a public demeanor, while also experiencing the fear of homophobia and having to hide a relationship. This is shown when Hollander and Rose Landry’s relationship blew up on social media, despite Hollander not actually being content and really longing for Rozanov.
The rivalry element in both is equally competitive, but there is something so compelling about it being between two people over their entire careers rather than in a single Olympic season. Additionally, we can see more into Hollander and Rozanov’s personal lives than any of the Olympic competitors without having to research or dig, as the season is through their perspectives.
Still, both shows are culturally relevant and should be watched if you have the time, and considering that the Olympics are temporary, while “Heated Rivalry” will be on HBO Max long term, it provides some incentive to watch them first. But ultimately, “Heated Rivalry” offers cinematic elements that can appeal to many audiences, such as competition, romance, and LGBTQ+ pride and struggle.
