‘Heated Rivalry’ Blu-ray Box Set Comes With ‘18+’ Label and NSFW Poster in VHS-Inspired Package

The physical releases promises "elevated packaging, curated bonus content, and exclusive materials" from the hit hockey show If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Rolling Stone may receive an affiliate commission. Fans of Heated Rivalry have something new to look forward to, as Canadian studio Crave has announced an official physical release for the hit hockey show. Season one of Heated Rivalry arrives on DVD and Blu-ray on Nov. 24, with a special “Collector’s Edition” box set that has been labeled with a red “18+” sticker. Of course, fans who watched the first season of the horny HBO series will know there was plenty of sex and nudity, though it was not “graphic or explicit in nature,” which is the justification for a dreaded NC-17 label (that could have potentially kept the box set out of some retailer stores and websites). ORDER ONLINE Heated Rivalry: Season One (Collector’s Edition – 4K / Blu-ray) The Heated Rivalry 4K Blu-ray release was first announced in June, though the official cover wasn’t revealed until this month. The box set features the now-canon photograph of Shane (Hudson Williams) and Ilya (Connor Storrie) embracing shirtless in their hockey pants, with a purposely distressed finish to the packaging (perhaps like a smut novel you wore out?) Amazon says the packaging is meant to resemble an old VHS cover, and there is also an inner box inspired by a VHS tape. The box opens to reveal a squishy hockey puck “stress reliever,” along with four collectible photo cards. The complete first season, meantime, is spread out over four Blu-ray discs, which contain additional features like blooper reels, deleted scenes and commentary from the cast and crew (including director Jacob Tierney and author Rachel Reid). The limited-edition set also includes a double-side poster, with one side depicting an image from the infamous shower scene from the show’s first episode (probably best to hang in your home or inside of your locker rather than say, displayed at your desk). Amazon has the Heated Rivalry: Season One Collector’s Edition 4K / Blu-ray set available to pre-order right now for $69.99. ALSO AVAILABLE Heated Rivalry: Season One (Blu-ray) You can also pick up the standard Blu-ray edition of Heated Rivalry online. Amazon has it available to pre-order for $30 here.This set also includes all the bonus features but not the collectible merch and exclusive packaging. This one has a release date of Oct. 20. DVD RELEASE Heated Rivalry: Season One (DVD) A DVD copy of the first season is available for $29.99. This one is also expected to be released on Oct. 20. Amazon’s “Savings Pre-order Price Guarantee” ensures that you’ll be charged whatever the lowest price is for the Blu-ray release between the time you place your order and the time it ships. If the price drops, you’ll be refunded the difference between your order price and the lowest price seen at the end of release day. Based on the Rachel Reid book series, Game Changers, Heated Rivalry has become a certified cultural phenomenon, landing lead actors Storrie and Williams, and co-creator Tierney, countless profiles, partnerships, and promo ops alike. The DVD and Blu-ray release marks the first time fans can own a physical edition of the show, making it an official collectible to add to all the fan-made merch out there. The series was previously only available to stream on Crave in Canada and HBO Max in the U.S. Alliance Home Entertainment (which is overseeing the release) says the physical releases “celebrate the characters, storytelling, and cultural impact that have driven the series’ breakout success.” As for the “18+” rating, it typically means the content is limited to adults 18 years of age or older, though it’s more commonly used in the Canadian television and motion picture rating system (Heated Rivalry is a Canadian production). Here in the U.S., you’re more likely to see the symbol TV-MA (“mature adults) on your screen or an “R” rating in movies, which denotes “brief depictions of bare backsides, breasts or full-frontal nudity (male or female),” according to the Motion Picture Association. Of course it’s also totally conceivable that the “18+” sticker on the box set is just slapped on for fun, in keeping with the retro VHS theme and cheeky marketing for the show. After all, the Amazon listing for the Heated Rivalry Blu-ray release currently says, “NR (Not Rated).”