‘Heated Rivalry’ Audience Doubles Post-Finale To Average 10.6M U.S. Viewers, Warner Bros. Discovery Says

Just over two months ago, few people had heard of Heated Rivalry. Now? It’s HBO Max’s top acquired scripted series ever.

Warner Bros. Discovery said Monday that the series has now surpassed 10.6M U.S. viewers to date, having more than doubled its viewership since the finale arrived on December 26.

The series, which comes from Canadian studio Crave, was swiftly renewed after Season 1 debuted to far more fanfare than anyone might have expected. The very modest series about a romance between two closeted gay hockey players posted consistent week-over-week growth throughout the first season’s run on HBO Max, Warner Bros. Discovery said. In fact, the company says the finale delivered four times the audience of the premiere.

Since then, stars Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie have done a myriad of press appearances, carried the Olympic torch, and presented at the Golden Globes. All the buzz appears to be paying off,…