Category: Music

All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.

Heated Rivalry has been all anyone’s been talking about, and for good reason.

The show, which is a queer hockey-meets-romance, follows two top male players and fierce rivals working through the trials and tribulations of maintaining a public image, while secretly seeing each other off the ice. One, an Ottawa-born go-getter, Shane Hollander and bad-boy Russian Ilya Rozanov. The pair’s relationship is complicated, but it gets you hooked from the first episode on.

It’s a game of cat and mouse, a “will they or won’t they” situation that we at ShopBillboard can’t get enough of. The sixth and final episode of the first season is set to air via HBO Max on Dec. 26 at midnight ET and 9pm PT, a great Christmas gift from the streaming service. Not to fret, though, this isn’t the end of the star-crossed hockey romance. The show has already been renewed for a second season. If you didn’t know, the show was created by Jacob Tierney and adapted from a book of the same name by author Rachel Reid, a book which you can shop below.

The show hasn’t just been a hit with TV-watchers and hockey fans. Among music fans, the show’s soundtrack has done some big things. The show’s first three episodes featured tracks from Feist, Wet Leg and Wolf Parade, have all received Heated Rivalry-assisted bumps in streaming — and the numbers are just getting bigger and bigger. In episode four, a chaotic and tension-filled moment at a Canadian nightclub set to t.A.T.u.’s All the Things She Said, gave the song a major bump in streaming, creating a viral moment for the show and the track.

If you’re as eager as we are to catch the final episode of the season, we’ll be showing you how to do so, for free, down below. Gird your loins and grab your popcorn, this episode is surely going to be a stellar one.

How to Watch the Season Finale of Heated Rivalry for Free

HBO Max does not offer a free trial directly, but we’ve found a hack that will save you time and money. DIRECTV offers a five-day free trial and includes HBO Max access in certain plans, which means you can get a free trial to DirecTV with acess to HBO Max, to watch Heated Rivalry, for free for a limited time.

DIRECTV offers complimentary access to HBO Max in its MyEntertainment and Premier packages. The Entertainment package offers 50+ channels, like A&E, Discovery, FX, Hallmark, plus Disney+, Hulu, and HBO Max ad-supported bundles with unlimited cloud DVR. After your free trial, you’ll be paying $29.99 for your first month and then $35 a month. Then you’ve got the Premier package which features a whopping 185 channels including ESPN, Hulu, Disney+, STARZ, and Paramount+, as well as HBO Max. Premier will run you $169.99 a month, but you get $45 off your first month and $20 off months 2-24.

Another way to watch the show’s season finale is by subscribing to the Disney+, Hulu and HBO Max bundle, a three streaming service deal that will give you the best band for your buck. Unfortunately, triple threat service does not offer a free trial, however the pricing is relatively cheap. With ads, you’re looking to pay $19.99 a month. Without ads, you’re looking at $32.99 a month. The subscription gives you access to all of the content you could dream of, that includes Heated Rivalry.

The final way to watch Heated Rivalry is to add HBO Max to your Amazon Prime for $18.49 a month for a standard plan or $10.99 a month for HBO Max’s Basic plan with ads. To add, simply go to the Prime Video app or website, find the “Channels” or “Subscriptions” section, search for Max, and subscribe through your Amazon account.

While you’re waiting for the season finale, why not hold yourself over by shopping the books the queer hockey romance show was based on? The series has become a best-seller on Amazon, and it’s easy to see why with the show’s immense popularity. The book’s sequel, “The Long Game,” is also available on Amazon.

“Heated Rivalry” by Rachel Reid 

$17.70 $18.99 7% off

Buy Now On Amazon

A queer romance novel by Rachel Reid.

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“The Long Game” by Rachel Reid 

$8.99

Buy Now On Amazon

The sequel to “Heated Rivalry” by Rachel Reid.

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Rachel Reid 

Watch the Heated Rivalry Trailer via HBO Max Here

All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.

For Sports fans, Christmas has become a wonderful time of the year. Not only do we get NFL games now on the holiday, but we also get the most exicting basketball games of the 2025-26 NBA season. Every year, Dec. 25 has become a tentpole mid-season event for the league turning the merry holiday into a playoff-like atmosphere.

This Christmas, the game lineup is stacked with marquee matchups with the league’s best superstars playing against divisional rivals and top-seed playoff contenders. From Klay Thompson heading back to the Bay to face Steph Curry and his old Golden State Warriors team, to LeBron James going head-to-head with Kevin Durant, to the New York Knicks going to battle with the Cleveland Cavaliers to see who are the top dogs of the Eastern Conference, there’s so many great storylines you don’t want to miss out on.

Whether you’re home, visiting family or making snow angels outside, we’ve compiled every way you can tune into the 2025 NBA Christmas Day games online and for free.

Game 1: Cleveland Cavaliers vs. New York Knicks (12 p.m.)

The Christmas Day lineup starts off with a bang featuring one of the most anticipated matchups between the recently NBA Cup-winning New York Knicks and their biggest Eastern Conference threat, the Cleveland Cavaliers. With a surging Knicks squad playing host to a young and hungry Cavs team trying to live up to expectations, this game is a must-see after opening Christmas gifts.

The Knicks vs. Cavs game kicks off at 12 p.m. ET on ESPN/ABC. Watch for free with DirecTV and FuboTV.

Game 2: San Antonio Spurs vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (2:30 p.m.)

Another exciting, marquee matchup takes place at 2:30 p.m ET between western conference heavyweights, the San Antonio Spurs and the Oklahoma City Thunder. After ending OKC’s dominating win streak and heading to the NBA Cup Finals, the Spurs have the momentum heading into Christmas. However, the defending NBA Champs, led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, have proven to be the top dogs of the league this year. Whoever wins will set the tempo going into the second half of the season.

The Knicks vs. Cavs game kicks off at 2:30 p.m. ET on ESPN/ABC. Watch for free with DirecTV and FuboTV.

Game 3: Dallas Mavericks vs. Golden State Warriors (5 p.m.)

Klay Thompson is heading home to take on Steph Curry and his former Warriors squad for the third game of the day. Joining Kay is rookie Cooper Flag and Anthony Davis, but taking down Golden State with Curry, Draymond Green and Jimmy Butler is no easy task.

The Mavs vs. Warriors game takes place at 5 p.m. ET on ESPN/ABC. Watch for free with DirecTV and FuboTV.

Game 4: Houston Rockets vs. Los Angeles Lakers (8 p.m.)

LeBron and Durant may be the OGs in the league now, but both are still the most exciting acts on the court. Add in Luka Doncic for the Lakers and Amen Thompson alongside Alperen Şengünm for the Rockets, these two icons facing-off is a must-see during Christmas.

The Houston Rockets vs. Los Angeles Lakers game starts at 8 p.m. on ESPN/ABC. Watch for free with DirecTV and FuboTV.

Game 5: Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Denver Nuggets (10:30 p.m.)

For the final game of the night, the NBA will give fans a rematch of a tremendous playoff series from two years ago between the Minnesota Timberwolves and Denver Nuggets. Tipping off in Colorado, MVP front runner, Nikola Jokic, will aim to get his revenge on Anthony Edwards.

The Timberwolves vs. Nuggets starts at 8 p.m. on ESPN/ABC. Watch for free with DirecTV and FuboTV.

How to Watch the 2025 NBA Christmas Day Games Without Cable

The 2025 NBA Christmas Day Games will air across ABC and ESPN while streaming on DirecTV, FuboTV, Hulu + Live TV and Sling TV. Don’t have cable? Here’s everything you need to know on how to stream NBA games online for free.

DirecTV

You can watch ESPN and ABC online for free on DirecTV, which is offering a 5-day free trial for new users who sign up for one of the four packages. DirecTV lets you watch live television online and its channel packages include a live feed of ESPN and ABC.

Besides access to hundreds of live TV channels, you’ll also receive unlimited DVR storage, local channels and the ability to stream on as many devices as you want.

Fubo TV

FuboTV is another affordable live TV streamer as it comes with a five-day free trial for new users who sign up. The streaming service has three different plans, including a new skinny bundle called “Sports + News” that starts at only $45.99 for the first month ($55.99 per month afterwards). In addition, Fubo has $30 off their Pro and Elite plans for the first month right now, which includes more than 300 channels, as well as 1,000 hours of free DVR and the option to stream on 10 devices at once.

Sling TV

Sling TV is offering new half off off their first month with any of its three packages. You can choose from: the Orange, Blue or Orange + Blue. However, ABC is only offered on the Blue package, but you can watch simulcasted games on ESPN3 (which is only offered on Sling’s Orange package). Rather than choose between the two, you can combine the two with the Orange + Blue package, which will give you access to more than 50 channels, DVR storage and the ability to stream on up to three devices.

Hulu + Live TV

A subscription to Hulu + Live TV gets you more than 95 live TV channels, such as ABC, to watch live sports, TV series and specials whenever you want. You also get access to the entire Hulu on-demand library (including select ABC content available to watch the day after it airs).

Right now, the streamer is offering three months of service for $64.99 per month. Once the promotion is over, a regular subscription starts for $82.99 per month.

For even more content options, Hulu + Live TV includes a subscription both Disney+ and ESPN Unlimited, which will give you access to more sports coverage and ESPN exclusive content.

All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.

Christmas is hours away and if you’re among the millions of last-minute shoppers who are planning to buy gifts this week, we have good news and bad news.

Let’s start with the bad news first: if you’re still hoping to send a physical gift to your recipient (say, like a trendy tech gadget or beauty product), you’ll basically out of luck. Most shipping deadlines have passed to ensure delivery before Dec. 25 and many stores are closed on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. If you’re willing to pick up (and deliver) your present in person, you can try placing an online order from sites like Walmart and Target, and then heading to the store to grab your items. Many Walmart and Target stores are open late on Christmas Eve.

Now for some good news: there are a number of easy last-minute gifts that you can order online, and get delivered (almost) instantly, whether over email or delivered within hours to your door. From celebrity videos to musical events, here are 10 easy last-minute gift ideas for the holidays.

Book a Celebrity Cameo

FIND A CELEB HERE

Cameo lets you book a celebrity video, holiday greeting or shout-out from athletes, singers, entertainers and social media stars alike. Prices start at just $10 and many of the stars on Cameo are offering delivery within 24 hours. You can even book a special shout-out from Santa Claus himself, with your video guaranteed to be delivered by Christmas Day. What we like: once you choose a favorite celebrity, you can specify exactly who you want the video to be for and give the celeb prompts on what to say. Cameo has everyone from big actors to K-pop stars alike. This is a personalized gift your recipient won’t soon forget.

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Milk Bar Desserts

$100 $115 13% off

GET GIFT CARD

Everyone loves Milk Bar, the New York dessert spot that’s been shouted out by everyone from Taylor Swift to Mariah Carey. That’s for good reason too: the celeb-loved bakery is famous for its Confetti Cookies, Corn Flakes Cookies, Birthday Cake Truffles and more, and almost everything can now be delivered to your door — even if you don’t live in NYC. Right now, you can order a $100 gift card for Milk Bar online and get an extra $15 tacked on for free. Order here and get the gift card delivered via email instantly. Your recipient can then use the gift card to choose the sweet treats they want.

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Book of the Month Club

$59.99+

SEND GIFT NOW

Whether they’re into young adult novels or newsy non-fiction, the Book of the Month Club sends your recipient a new book each month to keep them reading. Choose from three, six or 12-book options, which your recipient can redeem online for a new hardcover book or audiobook. Club members get a ton of other bonus perks too. Case in point: all gift memberships right now come with a trendy Book of the Month Club “dad hat.” Select a membership option to gift here and you’ll receive a printable card that you can deliver to your recipient, or have them receive an email where they can redeem their gift online.

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MeUndies Membership

$11.80+

SEND GIFT NOW

Boxers, bras and socks are things that everybody needs but few people buy for themselves, which is why we like giving MeUndies memberships as an easy last-minute gift. Monthly memberships let you get a delivery of new underwear each month, and your recipient gets to pick their preferred category (I.e. boxer briefs or panties), sizes, colors and even fun prints. Pricing starts from just $11/month. Not sure if they need a year’s worth of undies? You can also pick up a MeUndies gift card for 10% off right now for a limited time.

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Personalized Pet Portraits

$35+

Buy Now AT UNCOMMON GOODS

We love the website Uncommon Goods for thousands of unique gift ideas, ranging from personalized products and custom gifts, to monthly subscription boxes. But the site also offers a host of fun experiences, like a pet portrait class, which sets you up with an art teacher and all the tools you need (brushes, paints) to create a watercolor painting of your four-legged friend. The experience includes a 120-minute live virtual class for 1-2 people. This is one of the most popular gift ideas on the Uncommon Goods website right now but you can browse all the options here.

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MasterClass Subscription

GET DEAL HERE $5 $5

Your college days may be behind you but that doesn’t mean the learning needs to stop. MasterClass is an online site that lets you take virtual video lessons from hundreds of celebrities, like Mariah Carey, Christina Aguilera, Questlove, Timbaland, composer Hans Zimmer and more. It’s not just music either — you can learn acting from Jodie Foster, tennis from Serena Williams and even management from momager Kris Jenner herself. MasterClass is currently 50% off for the holidays, bringing the monthly price of a subscription down to just $5. Sign someone up as a last-minute gift and your recipient will get a welcome email alerting them of your purchase.

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Breo Box Delivery

$149+

Buy Now AT BREO BOX

For something truly unexpected, get them a Breo Box, which is a quarterly subscription box stocked with the latest tech releases and buzzy gadgets. Past boxes and featured everything from Bluetooth speakers and wireless chargers, to small kitchen appliances and even a drone. Pricing starts from just $149/box with each box guaranteed to have 4-8 full-size items. A bonus: you can save $35 off right now with promo code JOLLY35. Or choose to get a $100 “Mystery Bundle” that’s worth over $300 in value, free with your first box. To redeem that offer, use the promo code XMASGIFT at checkout.

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JIGGY Puzzle Membership

$34

Buy Now AT JIGGY

If you know someone who loves puzzles (or have someone who already has everything), consider getting them a JIGGY Puzzle Club membership. Each month, they’ll receive a new 500-piece puzzle with a reusable drawstring bag and original artwork print. What we like: all of the puzzle designs are exclusive to JIGGY and they are all designed by female artists. A portion of your monthly subscription fee will also go back directly to the artists themselves.

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Upgrade Their Streaming Service

$49.99 $89.99 44% off

GET DEAL HERE

If you’re shopping for someone who loves streaming live sports or watching TV, consider upgrading their viewing experience with a streaming package from DirecTV. DirecTV lets you watch more than 90 cable channels over the internet, without needing a box or antenna. Their “Entertainment” package is currently $40 off and includes free access to ESPN Unlimited plus unlimited DVR recording. This is an especially-great gift idea for parents or grandparents who love TV but no longer need a bulky or annoying cable box.

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Book Them a Fever Experience

$20+

GET GIFT CARD HERE

Fever is known for putting on unique musical activations across the country, like its popular Beyonce candlelight concerts and BTS tribute events. Aside from music, Fever also offers experiences ranging from art installations to immersive spectacles, special talks, restaurant and city tours, theater shows and more. Not sure where to start? Get your recipient a Fever gift card, which will let them choose an experience in their city. Gift cards range in prices and can be delivered instantly, making for a memorable last-minute gift.

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Sabrina Carpenter is treating fans to a surprise gift on Christmas Eve.

On Wednesday (Dec. 24), the 26-year-old pop star released Man’s Best Friend (Bonus Track Version) on streaming services, featuring the previously shared track “Such a Funny Way.”

“To thank you for such a beautiful year …and to supply whoever needs a cathartic christmas crashout song… Man’s best friend bonus track edition with one of my favorites ‘Such a Funny Way’ is now officially available on streaming,” Carpenter wrote on Instagram. “I love you guys so much. Thank you for caring for these songs the way i do and for such a special 2025!! I feel lucky to know there’s still so much good to come x.”

Along with the bonus track edition, Carpenter also released a lyric video for “Such a Funny Way” on YouTube.

Carpenter originally dropped her seventh studio album, Man’s Best Friend, on Aug. 29. The album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in September, giving the pop star her second chart-topping release following 2024’s Short n’ Sweet.

“Such a Funny Way” was previously available for digital download with the Man’s Best Friend album for $7.99. Prior to that, it was exclusive to the vinyl deluxe edition of the album. Around the time, the Grammy winner shared the inspiration behind “Such a Funny Way” during an interview on Apple Music 1 with Zane Lowe.

“I interpret humor, obviously, in a light way, but it’s also used to cover something and it’s used to definitely cope with things and not always in the best way,” she said. “I’ve had trouble in relationships before because people have been like, ‘Be serious.’”

The singer continued, “So much of the time it feels maybe less mean or hurtful or spiteful to be able to just laugh about it, and that’s a good thing sometimes and sometimes it’s a bad thing. So yeah, that one isn’t on the original version of the album, but it ends the album with the lyrics, ‘So funny that I have to laugh just so I don’t cry.’”

Check out Carpenter’s Christmas Eve Instagram post here, and watch the “Such a Funny Way” lyric video here.

Lawyers for hip-hop mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs urged a federal appeals court in New York late Tuesday (Dec. 23) to order his immediate release from prison and reverse his conviction on prostitution-related charges or direct his trial judge to lighten his four-year sentence.

The lawyers said in a filing with the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan that Combs was treated harshly at sentencing by a federal judge who let evidence surrounding charges he was acquitted of unjustly influence the punishment.

Combs, 56, incarcerated at a federal prison in New Jersey and scheduled for release in May 2028, was acquitted of racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking at a trial that ended in July. Combs was convicted under the Mann Act, which bans transporting people across state lines for any sexual crime.

Lawyers for Combs said Judge Arun Subramanian acted like a “thirteenth juror” in October when he sentenced Combs to four years and two months in prison. They said he erred by letting evidence surrounding the acquitted charges influence the sentence he imposed.

They noted that Combs was convicted of two lesser counts, prostitution offenses that didn’t require force, fraud, or coercion. They asked the appeals court, which has not yet heard oral arguments, to acquit Combs, order his immediate release from prison or direct Subramanian to reduce his sentence.

“Defendants typically get sentenced to less than 15 months for these offenses — even when coercion, which the jury didn’t find here, is involved,” the lawyers wrote.

“The judge defied the jury’s verdict and found Combs ‘coerced,’ ‘exploited,’ and ‘forced’ his girlfriends to have sex and led a criminal conspiracy. These judicial findings trumped the verdict and led to the highest sentence ever imposed for any remotely similar defendant,” the lawyers wrote.

At sentencing, Subramanian said that when calculating the prison term, he considered Combs’ treatment of two former girlfriends who testified that the Bad Boy Records founder beat them and coerced them into having sex with male sex workers while he watched and filmed the encounters, sometimes masturbating.

At the trial, former girlfriend Casandra “Cassie” Ventura testified that Combs ordered her to have “disgusting” sex with strangers hundreds of times during their decade-long relationship that ended in 2018. Jurors saw video of him dragging and beating her in a Los Angeles hotel hallway after one such multiday “freak-off.”

The second former girlfriend, who testified under the pseudonym “ Jane,” said she was pressured into sex with male workers during what Combs called “hotel nights,” drug-fueled sexual encounters from 2021 to 2024 that also could last days.

At sentencing, Subramanian said he “rejects the defense’s attempt to characterize what happened here as merely intimate, consensual experiences, or just a sex, drugs, and rock ‘n’ roll story.”

He added: “You abused the power and control that you had over the lives of women you professed to love dearly. You abused them physically, emotionally, and psychologically. And you used that abuse to get your way, especially when it came to freak-offs and hotel nights.”

Heavy metal fans in South Carolina were disappointed to discover that the Lamb of God concert they expected was actually a performance about the birth of Jesus Christ.

Ticket reseller StubHub apologized on Monday (Dec. 22) after accidentally listing the Virginia-based rock band instead of Christian musician Andrew Peterson’s Behold the Lamb of God, a concert featuring music about the stories of Christ, held at the Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium on Dec. 20.

In the days leading up to Peterson’s show, the StubHub listing featured a photo of Lamb of God frontman Randy Blythe and listed the concert as a top-trending event at the Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium, according to CBS affiliate WSPA in Spartanburg. Lamb of God isn’t scheduled to perform until March 2026, and the band currently has no announced dates in South Carolina.

After realizing the error, StubHub apologized for the confusion and offered refunds for anyone who purchased tickets to the show.

“We acknowledge the listing for the December 20 event at Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium was misleading and apologize for the confusion this caused,” a StubHub spokesperson said. “Ahead of the show we updated the event page and reached out to customers to clarify the event details. Anyone who purchased tickets under the impression this was a different performance is encouraged to contact us — we’ll honor a full refund under our FanProtect Guarantee.”

Lamb of God’s Blythe took notice of the mistake and joked about it on his Instagram Story, reposting news reports about the mix-up. “Oopsie,” the rocker wrote over one story, while commenting “Merry Christmas Spartanburg” on another.