Russians Are Breaking the Law to Watch Heated Rivalry

'Heated Rivalry's Ilya Rozanov is now a queer icon in Russia

Crave/HBO Max's hit gay hockey romance Heated Rivalry shows the love story between Canadian player Shane Hollander and Russian player Ilya Rozanov (played by Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie, respectively), but how do actual queer Russians feel about the show?Gay Russian journalist Mikhail Zygar writes about Heated Rivalry and its impact on queer Russians in a new Vanity Fair piece. In it, he asserts that he knows "quite a few people like" Ily…

Russians are breaking the law to watch Heated Rivalry

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Heated Rivalry Breaks Russian Censorship Laws as Fans Risk Fines to Watch Hit LGBTQ+ Series

The global success of Canadian romantic sports drama Heated Rivalry has reached such fever pitch that fans in Russia are defying their country’s strict anti-LGBTQ+ laws to watch it, even at personal legal risk. Released in November 2025, the series, adapted from Rachel Reid’s Game Changers novels, follows the slow-burn love story of two rival […] The post Heated Rivalry Breaks Russian Censorship Laws as Fans Risk Fines to Watch Hit LGBTQ+ Series…

Heated Rivalry is a surprise hit in Russia

Andrew M Potts Heated Rivalry has become the top rated show on the Russian equivalent of Rotten Tomatoes, even though the gay romance […] The post Heated Rivalry is a surprise hit in Russia appeared first on QNews.