‘IT: Welcome to Derry’ Has Its Steamiest Streaming Competition Yet in This 95% RT Book Adaptation

Since its release on October 26, 2025, the prequel series It: Welcome to Derry has become a true phenomenon on HBO Max. Making history as the platform’s third-best premiere of all time, behind only House of the Dragonand The Last of Us, the series has been an all-around streaming hit. But, as IT: Welcome to Derry hangs tight to the #1 streaming title, another series is putting up some tough competition. On November 28, 2025, Heated Rivalry, which is based on the 2019 novel by Rachel Reid and is currently #3 in the US, premiered its first two episodes, and it’s a steamy gay romance that’s already earned an impressive 95% on Rotten Tomatoes.