Since its debut on HBO Max in late November, Heated Rivalry has become a pop culture sensation, sparking countless fan edits and posts online. The show features rising stars Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams, quickly capturing the audience’s attention.
The viewership numbers have been impressive. HBO’s data shows that Heated Rivalry averages about 9 million viewers per episode in the U.S., a figure likely to grow in the coming weeks. This puts the show among the top-tier series on HBO Max. In fact, both HBO Max and Crave, the Canadian service that commissioned the series based on Rachel Reid’s novel, have already greenlit a second season.
Interestingly, Heated Rivalry hasn’t yet made it onto Nielsen’s streaming charts. Nielsen has released data for the five weeks since the show started, but it hasn’t cracked the top 10. Why is this?
The discrepancy might stem from how Nielsen and HBO gather data and the classification of the show. Since Heated Rivalry originated with Crave, Nielsen considers it an acquired series. The bar for acquired series is generally higher than for original content.
To illustrate, the 10th place show in the acquired series rankings averaged about 565 million minutes watched during the same period. In contrast, the No. 10 spot for original streaming shows averaged 363 million minutes—nearly 56% fewer minutes.
The acquired series chart typically features long-running shows like Grey’s Anatomy and NCIS, which boast extensive episode libraries. In comparison, Heated Rivalry has a smaller episode count and a weekly release schedule, putting it at a disadvantage. While some HBO shows have made it into the acquired series rankings, they usually come with massive marketing budgets and are based on well-known properties, like House of the Dragon and The Last of Us.
Although Reid’s novels have enjoyed bestseller status, the rise of Heated Rivalry appears more organic. HBO Max secured U.S. distribution rights just nine days before the premiere, leaving little time for promotion. This makes the show’s 9 million viewers even more remarkable.
In this era of streaming, viewers’ habits are changing. A recent survey found that 78% of Americans prefer watching series over movies, indicating a shift toward storytelling that unfolds over time. Shows like Heated Rivalry, with their layered character development and emotional arcs, resonate well with this trend.
As conversations about representation and diverse storytelling continue, the success of Heated Rivalry reflects a growing appetite for fresh narratives in the entertainment landscape.
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