Let’s be honest, we’re all still nursing a massive hangover after binging Heated Rivalry, one of the most talked about shows of the year. Originally a Crave standout before breaking the streaming charts on HBO Max, the Canadian sports romance captured our collective imagination. Now we’re itching to return to the cottage – and the ice – with Ilya Rozanov and Shane Hollander.
An adaptation of Rachel Reid’s Game Changers novel series, the show follows the secret romance of rival hockey captains over eight years as they go from archenemies to lovers. It’s the slow burn no one saw coming, but everyone desperately needed to restore our faith in love. Thankfully, the show has been green-lit for a second season that will air in 2027. Until then, we’re all scrambling to figure out what we’re going to do with our lives. And no, feigning amnesia to watch the show for a tenth time is sadly not an option.
While the ice melts on Heated Rivalry season one, the drama is just heating up with these 10 Latinx and Spanish shows. This lineup will help you leave the ice rink behind without missing out on the grit, heart, rivals-to-lovers, and LGBTQ+ representation you’ve been craving.
1. Olympo
The direct successor to Heated Rivalry, Olympo also takes place in the world of pro sports. This Netflix Spain original series happens in the Pirineos Center of High Performance, an elite training school hosting the country’s most promising athletes. While the series’s main character, Amaia, investigates the extreme risks athletes face to take their careers to the next level, a secret relationship between two rugby players, Roque and Sebas, brews. If you’re looking for more of the secret love, tension, hyper-masculinity, and competitive romance that Heated Rivalry gave us, Olympo is your next must-watch.
2. With Love
If you fell in love with Shane’s relationship with his family, then you’re going to fall head over heels for With Love. This multi-generational show follows the love lives of a Latino family at every stage of their life – from the kids to the abuelos. This Amazon Prime series champions LGBTQ+ representation with the central relationship between Jorge and Henry. Like Shane and Ilya in the later episodes of Heated Rivalry, they showcase the tenderness, care, and groundedness that we so seldom see represented in television gay couples. With Love also features Sol, a non-binary trans-femme character, as they fall in love with Miles. Their character also breaks away from the too-common hyper-sexualized trans narrative, showcasing them as a successful, caring oncologist with a loving life.
3. Élite
When it first premiered in 2018, Élite became a global sensation. The Spanish murder mystery show gives us tons of plot twists, and among our favorites is the romance between Ander and Omar – aka Omander. Their on-screen relationship is the epitome of high-stakes, messy rivals, and forbidden class dynamics. On one side, you have Omar, who comes from a Muslim family and is dealing with the difficulties of accepting himself as a gay man while fearing his family’s rejection. On the other, Andre is the principal’s son and also a tennis champion. Their love affair is a “closeted athlete meets the ‘wrong boy’” romance that will feed the flames of your slow-burn sports-romance addiction.
4. Juntos el Corazón Nunca Se Equivoca
Moving away from the rink and to the streets of Mexico City, this adorable telenovela tackles society’s prejudice head-on. A spin-off of Mi Marido Tiene Familia, Juntos el Corazón Nunca Se Equivoca focuses on the love story of Aristóteles and Cuauhtémoc as they start college and explore their new life together. Not only is this the first telenovela with a same-sex couple as protagonists, but it tackles the intricacies of acceptance and the “public vs. private” struggle of a high-profile couple trying to make it in a traditional environment.
5. Love, Victor
Shane Hollander fans can rejoice with the vibes Love, Victor brings. The American teen comedy-drama follows half-Puerto Rican, half-Colombian teen Victor as he starts Creekwood High. On his journey of self-discovery, he faces challenges at home and with his sexual orientation, all while being the new kid. This feel-good show that aired on Hulu and Disney+ features a shy character, similar to Hollander, who showcases the coming-out process not just as an individual journey, but a family one. While Love, Victor is softer than the intensity of Shane and Ilya, it shares some of the same struggles that sensitive characters face in Heated Rivalry.
6. One Day at a Time
Created by the same showrunner as With Love, this multi-cam sitcom follows a Cuban-American family in their day-to-day life. It features a legendary Abuela (played by Rita Moreno), LGBTQ+ representation, and a perfect mix of laughter and cry-worthy moments. If you’re looking for one of the lighter shows to take off the edge of Heated Rivalry, the family love in One Day at a Time will warm your heart.
7. El Secreto del Río
Set in Oaxaca, Mexico, El Secreto del Río explores the life of two young boys, Erik and Manuel, as tragedy reinforces their friendship. Twenty years later, they’re reunited and must confront their past while facing their own struggles with identity and childhood trauma. This groundbreaking series also exposes the lives of muxes, a traditional third gender in Zapotec culture, offering a new perspective on the nuances of gender identity. Furthermore, Trinidad González became the first Mexican trans actress to lead a Netflix México series with her portrayal of Sicarú in this limited series.
8. Gentefied
The struggle for legacy is a pillar of this Netflix original series. Gentefied follows three cousins living in Los Angeles as they face the gentrification of their neighborhood. While trying to protect their family’s Mexican restaurant, each character faces their own personal struggles. Among them, Ana balances her life as an artist with her queer relationship with Yessika, an activist. The show is among the first to shed light on queer Latinx joy, confronting familial homophobia while remaining authentic to both community and individuality.
9. Las Aparicio
This is one of those trailblazer shows that changed the game for LGBTQ+ representation in Latinx media. Las Aparicio is a classic series featuring a complex, long-running lesbian storyline that kept viewers hooked to its high-drama, high-emotion storyline (sound familiar?). The main plot follows three generations of women who become widows under strange circumstances and can only bear daughters. This show has us rooting for the lesbian love between Julia and Mariana until the end.
10. Club de Cuervos
A lighter show that also takes place in the sports scene, Club de Cuervos is for lovers of dark dramedy. The Mexican series gives a satirical look at professional soccer as siblings take over the presidency of Cuervos F.C. after the death of their father. Among the characters is the strict coach Goyo, who enters a serious long-term relationship with Susanita, a trans sex worker. Their relationship starts out casual but turns serious. The series is a breath of fresh air from the intensity of the hockey pucks – which is why it’s one of our recommended shows to cure that Heated Rivalry hangover!
