When I sat down to watch the first two episodes of Heated Rivalry on the day of its release, I hadn’t expected it to take off like wildfire.
The show already had a wide fanbase from the start, particularly among book readers.
But it’s safe to say that nobody could have expected Heated Rivalry to take off the way it did.
(Sabrina Lantos/HBO Max)
By Heated Rivalry Season 1 Episode 4, I began seeing more online conversations about anticipating upcoming episode releases.
And when the famed cottage episode finally aired during the holidays, the show had already won over thousands of new viewers, especially among young adult audiences.
Looking back now, Heated Rivalry was set up for success from the outset with HBO Max‘s decision to air episodes weekly.
More importantly, this series has proven that the broadcast TV model of weekly releases continues to work for young adult audiences.
Weekly Releases in the Era of Streaming
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Ever since Netflix popularized binge-releasing shows, many platforms have adopted a similar model, especially for shows geared to young adult audiences.
But even Netflix has begun to recognize that these binge releases aren’t necessarily the best strategy for its target audience.
In fact, the streamer changed its approach for the final season of Stranger Things.
The slow rollout of the last few episodes of this beloved YA horror show successfully generated more long-lasting conversation than if the whole season came out all at once.
Similarly, Heated Rivalry would not have attracted such a large audience of young adult viewers without the weekly releases.
Under a binge-release model, there would not have been the same buildup to the much-anticipated cottage episode, which has become an iconic pop-culture reference.
(Sabrina Lantos/HBO Max)
Another aspect of the weekly releases that contributed to Heated Rivalry’s success was the press junket.
Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie quickly gained recognition across social media platforms for their hilarious interviews released to promote upcoming episodes.
All this is to say that weekly releases sparked conversations about Heated Rivalry, setting up the demand that would secure a Season 2 renewal.
Why Young Adult Audiences Need Weekly Releases
Even beyond the rise of streaming platforms, weekly releases are more important than ever for young adult audiences.
Today, young adults are pulled in every direction, with platforms like TikTok encouraging consumption of video content in short clips.
(Sabrina Lantos/HBO Max)
The binge-release model further contributes to declining attention spans by encouraging audiences to consume content without critical thinking.
In contrast, weekly releases encourage conversations, theorizing, and most importantly, community.
The community formed around discussing airing episodes of television has been such a vital part of the TV-viewing experience that is missed by binge releases.
For young adult audiences who have lost many key years of socialization to the COVID pandemic, finding connection, particularly through shared interests, is essential.
Heated Rivalry has provided that outlet for young adults to connect through discussing their favorite episodes, who their favorite characters are, and what they hope will happen in Season 2.
(Sabrina Lantos/HBO Max)
And most importantly, Heated Rivalry is one of the few ongoing queer shows for young adult audiences.
Of course, now that Heated Rivalry Season 1 has finished airing, the fanbase is still going stronger than ever.
While I love talking about the show with people who have recently tuned in, I miss when everyone would gather on Fridays to overanalyze the final scenes of the most recent Heated Rivalry episode.
Are you hoping for weekly releases for Heated Rivalry Season 2?
Comment with your thoughts on whether you prefer bingeing or weekly releases!
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Networks might assume audiences may be primed for binge releases, but Heated Rivalry proves that weekly releases are still the way to go.
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We’re still not over Heated Rivalry, so we had to keep talking about it. Read TV Fanatics Whitney Evans and Jasmine Blu’s breakdown of the first season!
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