Jacob Tierney discussed his directorial strategies for turning Rachel Reid’s Game Changers novel into the television series Heated Rivalry during an exclusive Oct. 12, 2026, interview with Harper’s Bazaar. The writer and director achieved critical and commercial acclaim with a modest budget by emphasizing authentic character development and realistic portrayals of a long-term queer relationship amid professional hockey rivalries, according to the publication. A new book from Tierney titled I’ll Believe in Anything collects annotated scripts from the first season, accompanied by an essay from Reid, Harper’s Bazaar reported. The release arrives nearly a year after the series debut and offers production insights through margin notes on everything from episode timelines to intimate scene choreography.
The series, which premiered in November 2025 on Crave in Canada and HBO Max in the United States, became the streamer’s most successful original production to date, a Fast Company oral history found. Each episode had surpassed 10 million views on HBO Max by February 2026, with the show driving record sign-ups for the Canadian platform, according to the same account. Tierney told Harper’s Bazaar that the demands of television production required frequent explanations to collaborators, noting, “The great thing with TV is you have to explain yourself so much to people, and so they were like, ‘Why does the time change so much in episodes one and two?'” The approach helped establish a narrative that resonated widely, including with female audiences interested in the hockey setting.
Harper’s Bazaar highlighted how Tierney’s adaptation stood apart from other romance book translations by avoiding idealized intimacy in favor of awkward, uncertain encounters that reflect real experiences. The publication quoted Tierney reflecting on the project’s guiding principles and its potential influence on future adapters. In the interview, he expressed hope that others would draw lessons on collaboration with source authors and commitment to honest representation when consulting his annotated scripts.
Data from TelevisionStats.com on Oct. 8, 2026, placed Heated Rivalry at 136 in online popularity rankings with an attention score of 3.7, noting it had spent 93 days in the top 10 shows over the prior year. The series generated more than 51,000 fan fiction stories on AO3, far exceeding comparable hockey romance adaptations, a Bustle report from Oct. 7, 2026, stated. This fan engagement contributed to broader cultural impact, including heightened interest in the NHL itself.
Sports Business Journal reported on Oct. 12, 2026, that the show drove more than a 20 percent increase in weekly hockey ticket sales and over 30 percent revenue growth on SeatGeek, with first-time buyers rising notably. StubHub recorded a 75 percent jump in hockey ticket searches and a 5 percent rise in first-time purchasers following the premiere, the publication added. NHL playoffs also saw record viewership, with women driving 66 to 106 percent gains in key demographics, partly linked to the series’ popularity according to the league and networks.
Tierney’s book aims to illuminate the decision-making process that turned a risky project into a global success, Harper’s Bazaar indicated. The director addressed what readers seeking to adapt other romance stories might extract from the text, focusing on practical production secrets and narrative choices that prioritized emotional truth. The interview underscored the partnership with Reid as central to capturing the novel’s spirit across six episodes.
