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Mastering the Art of Viewing Intense Competition: A Guide for UK Audiences

Published

4 months ago

December 9, 2025

It’d be an understatement to say that the latest HBO show, Heated Rivalry, has caused a stir online.

The bestselling adaptation, originally written by Rachel Reid, ticks many boxes. It’s an enemies-to-lovers LGBTQ+ story set against the backdrop of a sports setting – all with plenty of spice, of course.

The show follows Canada’s Shane Hollander (Hudson Williams) and Russia’s Ilya Rozanov (Connor Storrie), two hockey players whose relationship sparks fire both on and off the rink. However, the pair face the pressure of being in the limelight, and the repercussions that come with it.

If you’re keen to watch Heated Rivalry in the UK, we have everything you need to know.

Is Heated Rivalry available to stream in the UK?

At the time of writing, no UK streaming service has the rights to Heated Rivalry in the UK.

We know that HBO Max is launching in the UK… but this won’t happen until March 2026. Sometimes, popular HBO shows get syndicated on Sky and Now (such as Hacks), but that hasn’t happened with Heated Rivalry as of yet. We’ve contacted Sky for comment to see if there are plans to air it.

At the time of writing, season 1 is only partway through, so there is a chance the series will be brought to UK screens, but we can’t guarantee this.

So if waiting around four months to watch Heated Rivalry sounds like a nightmare, don’t worry. There is a way you can watch it in the UK.

HBO / Warner Bros.

How to watch Heated Rivalry on HBO Max in the UK

We have found a way to sign up for HBO Max in the UK – you can do this by using a VPN to connect to the US version of the streaming site. But there are additional instructions you should be aware of, so make sure you read this all the way through.

The first thing you’ll need is a good VPN. We’ve successfully signed up for HBO Max with NordVPN, which has consistently been ranked as our top recommendation thanks to its affordable pricing, wide range of servers and simple-to-use interface.

Get NordVPN for £2.29 per month

Once you’ve signed up for your VPN of choice, you’ll need to connect to an American server (any city, it doesn’t matter which) on your phone and take the following steps:

Find a US server on your VPN on your smartphone

Anyron Copeman / Foundry

There is a range of US servers on NordVPN – some may be more successful than others.

Ensure you are connected to a US server on your smartphone for the entire process.

Create a new Apple ID/Google Play account in your browser that’s tied to the US

Hannah Cowton / Foundry

Ensure the country is either set to the United States, or left blank.

Register your new account on your phone

Hannah Cowton/Foundry

Download and install the HBO Max app

Create a new account in the HBO Max app using your email address and password

Choose between the ad-supported or ad-free plan and decide whether you want to pay monthly or annually.

Use PayPal as your payment method (a UK account is acceptable)

If you have two-factor authentication set up, verify PayPal with your phone number.

Once your account is verified, you can sign in from any device.

In some cases, the Google Play Store may not switch to the US version when creating a new account.

To work around this issue, connect to a VPN on a PC, log into the Google Play Store US website, search for the required app, and send it to your phone while still connected to the VPN. An example using Peacock is shown below:

Users have reported difficulty installing HBO Max on iOS due to the app store’s requirement to input payment details, which may not accept UK PayPal accounts.

To overcome this obstacle, we suggest purchasing US App Store credit through a digital gift card, which can be added as a US payment option.

You can use a website that accepts UK bank details to purchase a minimum of $25 in credit. This amount should cover one month’s subscription to HBO Max.

When prompted to enter the recipient on the site, input your email address to receive the redemption code via email. When adding payment information in the app store, choose ‘redeem gift card or code’ to add the credit to your account.

Once your HBO Max account is active, you can switch your payment information back to your UK PayPal account on the website to avoid the need for a new gift card each time.

It is important to note that these methods may violate HBO Max’s terms of service, potentially resulting in the cancellation of your account. Proceed with caution.

Transform the following:

Original: The cat is sleeping on the couch.

Transformed: The couch has the cat sleeping on it.