How To Watch Rivals Online
| Release Date: Friday, October 18 |
| Stream: Hulu (US) | Disney Plus (CA, UK, AU) |
| Best Deal: US subscribers can get the Disney Plus bundle from $10.99 a month |
Watch Rivals: Synopsis
If you're unfamiliar with the expression 'bonkbuster' then strap yourself in for Rivals – the new adaptation of author Jilly Cooper's best-selling classic of the genre from 1988. In this guide, we'll explain how you can watch Rivals online with all eight episodes dropping at the same time on October 18.
Rivals takes us to the fictional English county of Rutshire; think shooting weekends, country houses and a lot of tweed. We see the upper crust world through the eyes of the O'Hara family, who are fish out of water when patriarch Declan (Aidan Turner) is invited out to the sticks by TV mogul Lord Tony Baddingham (deliciously played by David Tennant) to front his tentpole show.
There they become embroiled in the cutthroat power games between Lord of the manor and handsome, arrogant politician Rupert Campbell-Black (Alex Hassell), as the titular rivals do battle over the former's media empire. As the trailer says: "Everybody wants to get on top" – and it's not just talking about business...
With its gloriously camp 1980s setting, you can expect a riotous mix of sex, scandal and a pumping soundtrack. Plus, a stacked cast of familiar faces from UK TV, including Danny Dyer (Eastenders), Emily Atack (The Inbetweeners) and Katherine Parkinson (The IT Crowd).
Find out how to watch Rivals online now on Hulu in the US and Disney Plus in other corners of the globe.
How to watch Rivals in the US
Rivals dropped on Hulu on Friday, October 18, with all episodes available to binge watch straight away.
After a recent price hike, a Hulu subscription now starts from $9.99 a month (or $99.99 for a whole year) if you don't mind ads, or $18.99 a month to go commercial-free. But if you haven't used Hulu before, you can also give it a try for nothing with its 1-month free trial.
Or, if you're in the market for a full over-the-top streaming service, Hulu + Live TV plan starts from $82.99 a month and includes 85+ premium TV channels, all Hulu content on catch-up, as well as access to Disney+ and sports specialist ESPN+. You can pay more to remove ads.
Watch Rivals online with the Disney Plus bundle
If you like the idea of Hulu but want to get an even better value plan, then the Disney Plus bundle is a fantastic option. Combining Hulu with Disney Plus , there's thousands of hours of TV to suit all tastes. And if there's a sports fan in the household, you can add ESPN Plus for a just few dollars more.
Watch Rivals online in Canada
People in Canada can watch Rivals on Disney Plus as it became available to stream on Friday, October 18.
Get a subscription from $8.99 a month with its ad-supported plan. Otherwise, choose between its Standard ($12.99 a month / $129.99 a year) or Premium ($15.99 a month / $159.99 a year) plans.
How to watch Rivals in the UK
The UK is another territory where Rivals can be streamed on Disney Plus, with all episodes made available on October 18.
The Disney Plus price in the UK starts from £4.99 a month with the introduction of an ad-supported plan. Alternatively you can continue an ad-free experience and pay £8.99 a month for its Standard plan. For 4K streams you'll need the Premium plan, which costs £12.99 a month.
Both the Standard and Premium plan have the option of signing up for a year in advance and getting 12 months for the price of 10, costing £89.90 and £129.90 respectively.
Watch Rivals in Australia
A Disney Plus subscription is what you need Down Under to watch Rivals. It hit the platform on Friday, October 18.
Go monthly from $13.99 or make a saving by getting an annual plan for $139.99. The premium plan gets you 4K resolution and 4 simultaneous streams, costing $17.99 a month/$179.99 annually.
Rivals Trailer
Rivals Release Date
All eight episodes of Rivals were released globally on Friday, October 18.
Rivals Cast
- Alex Hassell as Rupert Campbell-Black
- David Tennant as Lord Tony Baddingham
- Aidan Turner as Declan O'Hara
- Victoria Smurfit as Maud O'Hara
- Bella Maclean as Taggie O'Hara
- Catriona Chandler as Caitlin O'Hara
- Nafessa Williams as Cameron Cook
- Katherine Parkinson as Lizzie Vereker
- Oliver Chris as James Vereker
- Danny Dyer as Freddie Jones
- Lisa McGrillis as Valerie Jones
- Claire Rushbrook as Lady Monica Baddingham
- Luke Pasqualino as Basil 'Bas' Baddingham
- Louis Landau as Archie Baddingham
- Emily Atack as Sarah Stratton
- Rufus Jones as Paul Stratton
- Lara Peake as Daysee Butler
- Annabel Scholey as Beattie Johnson
- Maggie Steed as Lady Gosling
- David Calder as Fergus Penney
- Hubert Burton as Gerald Middleton
- Guy Siner as Bishop Brenton
- Brendan Patricks as Henry Hampshire
- Rich Keeble as Brian Hetherington
How Many Episodes In Rivals Are There?
Rivals is a total of 8 episodes, all made available to stream at the same time on October 18.
Will There Be A Season 2 Of Rivals?
Disney Plus revealed the good news! Rivals will be returning for a second season. Announced on its Instagram, Disney Plus stated, "Season 2 is coming..." with more details set to follow soon.
Is Corinium real?
In Rivals, Corinium is the name of the fictional television station David Tennant's character, Lord Tony Baddingham owns. Historically, 'Corinium' was the name given by the Roman settlers to what is now known as Cirencester in Gloucestershire, England.
Is Rivals Based On A True Story?
The Disney TV show Rivals is not based on a TV show. It is adapted from Jilly Cooper's 1988 novel of the same name, the second in a series of books called the Rutshire Chronicles.
Where Was Rivals Filmed?
Filming locations for the Jilly Cooper adaptation, Rivals, included numerous locations across Gloucestershire and Somerset, with the fictional town of Rutshire in the book said to be set in the Cotswolds. This included Chavenage House in Tetbury, owned by Caroline Lowsley-Williams who previously worked with Rivals producer Eliza Mellor on Poldark.
Other locations included Wilton House in Salisbury, previously used The Crown and Bridgerton.
