CNN NYE Special Highlights Heated Rivalry Series

Andy Cohen and Anderson Cooper hosted CNN's annual New Year's Eve Live special from Times Square on December 31, 2025, ushering in 2026 with celebrity guests, musical performances, and repeated references to the breakout HBO Max series Heated Rivalry. The boozy broadcast, which began at 8 p.m. ET and featured tequila shots after a brief network-imposed hiatus, highlighted the hosts' playful camaraderie and the cultural buzz surrounding the gay hockey romance adaptation.

The evening's lighthearted chaos centered on Heated Rivalry, which premiered on the streaming service over Thanksgiving weekend and quickly topped its charts. Based on Rachel Reid's 2019 novel, the series follows rival professional hockey players Ilya Rozanov, played by Connor Storrie, and Shane Hollander, portrayed by Hudson Williams, as they navigate secret feelings amid career pressures and the sport's expectations. Additional characters, such as the studious Kip Robbie G.K., played by François Arnaud, add layers to the narrative of hidden relationships in a high-stakes athletic world.

Early in the program, Cohen and Cooper bantered about sharing a bed, a gag that led to one of several nods to the show. Cooper...