The Television Academy would like to give a heartfelt tribute to the hit hockey romance, “Heated Rivals.” However, the show is not eligible for an Emmy Award because it was created solely by Canadian producers and did not originate on a U.S. network.
This is actually quite a headache. Recent international projects seem to have no problem getting into the Emmy race. Just add an American studio or network to your list of producers to qualify for the Primetime Emmy Awards. “Downton Abbey,” “The Squid Game” and “Baby Reindeer” were all shows that clearly originated overseas, but were still winners here.
To its credit, “Heat Rivalry” continues to be produced exclusively in Canada, without an American production partner. The show, created by Jacob Tierney, is produced by Accent Aig Entertainment for Canadian conglomerate Bell Media’s Crave Streamer.
Of course, there was a chance that American financiers would be involved in the show during its development, which would have made it eligible for an Emmy Award. But when these potential producers wanted to touch up the show’s creative, Bell and Accent Aig decided to go it alone.
The situation is complicated by the fact that HBO did not acquire the rights to air the show in the United States just weeks before it began. Because HBO apparently had no involvement in producing season one of the show. Perhaps HBO still could have insisted on a production credit, or at least asked to be a partner for season two. But in an amazing act of restraint, HBO’s Casey Bloys decided he didn’t want to mess with the success.
“I think the last thing this show wants is for it to interfere with people’s functioning,” he told me in December, when “Heated Rivalry” mania was in full swing. “Obviously they have a good understanding of the show and what works, so I’m looking forward to receiving my episodes and highlighting them on HBO Max.”
That’s a good thing for them, even if it means HBO Max won’t be able to improve its Emmy run with a potential nomination or win for “Heated Rivals.” Let’s make the Canadian show Canadian. After all, HBO Max is still benefiting greatly from the show’s unexpected monster success. At last check, “Heated Rivals” averaged 10.6 million viewers per episode in the U.S., according to Warner Bros. Discovery.
It’s been almost half a year since the Season 1 finale of “Heated Rivals” aired on Dec. 26, 2025, and fans are still gushing about the show and its stars. Connor Story hosted a February episode of “Saturday Night Live,” has become an ambassador for brands such as Tiffany & Co. and Yves Saint Laurent, and has appeared in several upcoming features. Hudson Williams is similarly sought after, appearing in music videos for Laufey, appearing in campaigns for Peloton and Balenciaga, and booking a slew of new TV and film work.
Williams and Story are inescapable together. He served as a torchbearer for the 2026 Winter Olympics, appeared on the carpet at the Met Gala, and is currently one of the most sought-after presenters at awards shows.
HBO can take comfort in knowing that it qualified quickly enough for another international production, Richard Gadd’s British-set “Half Man.” “Half Man” appears to be a frontrunner for an Emmy Award, and Gad could be on track to win some new trophies on top of what he won for “Baby Reindeer” a few years ago.
As for “Heated Rivalry,” it might not be up for an Emmy, but you can bet on it now. It’s hard to imagine Williams and Story not taking center stage as presenters at this year’s awards ceremony. Maybe they’ll even joke about being at the Emmys and not being allowed to win.
On the awards circuit, other accolades are making up for the lack of an Emmy. “Heat Rivalry” recently won a Peabody Award, a GLAAD Media Award, and received numerous Canadian Screen Award nominations.
By the way, the Television Academy also confirmed that he is still eligible for the Emmy Awards. On May 20, the organization awarded six individuals with the Television Academy Award, which recognizes “outstanding television programs and their producers who have harnessed the extraordinary power of television to advance social change,” but just as important, they do not have to follow Emmy rules.
At the top of that list is “heated rivalry.”
