The soundtrack for the queer hockey romance series Heated Rivalry has made a significant debut on the U.S. music charts, landing at No. 8 on the Billboard 200. The achievement is notable not only for its high placement but because it was driven entirely by physical media sales, demonstrating the strong support of the show's dedicated fanbase.
In its first week, the album sold 41,000 units in the United States, with all sales coming from its vinyl and CD editions released on July 10. This makes it the first soundtrack for a television series to debut in the Billboard 200's top 10 in over a decade. The last to do so was the soundtrack for Fox's Empire in 2015.
The album's success extends across several other Billboard charts:
- It debuted at No. 1 on the Vinyl Albums, Soundtracks, and Indie Store Album Sales charts.
- It secured the No. 2 spot on the Top Album Sales chart.
- The vinyl version alone sold 28,000 copies, marking the largest sales week for any soundtrack on vinyl so far this year.
Heated Rivalry, which streams on HBO Max in the Netherlands, follows the secret relationship between rival hockey players Ilya Rozanov (Connor Storrie) and Shane Hollander (Hudson Williams). The series is an adaptation of the popular LGBTQ+ romance novel series Game Changers by Rachel Reid.
The soundtrack features a curated selection of songs from the show, including t.A.T.u.'s "All the Things She Said" and Feist's "My Moon My Man," alongside the original score composed by Peter Peter. The physical release was made available in two coloured vinyl variants and a double-CD set, which includes the full score.
Following the conclusion of its six-episode first season, the show was renewed for a second season, with the strong performance of its soundtrack underscoring the audience's connection to the story and its music.
