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 professional hockey players, Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov, as they navigate a secret multi-year relationship filled with passion, conflict, and emotional depth.
Starring Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie, the show has been met with critical acclaim worldwide, holding a 9.1/10 rating on IMDb and a 98% score on Rotten Tomatoes. But its success has gone beyond the usual international markets — it has penetrated even the heavily censored Russian entertainment space, where LGBTQ+ content is strictly outlawed.
Russian journalist Mikhail Zygar, writing for Vanity Fair, called the show’s reach in Russia “extraordinary,” despite Heated Rivalry being completely absent from all licensed Russian streaming platforms.
The series currently holds a massive 8.6 rating on Kinopoisk — Russia’s answer to IMDb — based on over 30,000 user ratings. Telegram fan channels for the series boast subscriber numbers upwards of 34,000, with users sharing discussions, content, and even full episodes through the encrypted messaging platform.
Defying the Law to Watch Love
Russia’s so-called “gay propaganda” law, first introduced in 2013 and expanded in 2022 to cover all ages, bans the promotion of “nontraditional sexual relationships.” The law carries fines of up to 400,000 rubles (£3,790) for individuals and up to 5 million rubles (£47,000) for organisations that distribute LGBTQ+ content.
Despite the law, Russian viewers are finding ways around the restrictions. Fans are watching Heated Rivalry through Telegram groups, using VPNs (Virtual Private Networks) to mask their online activity, or turning to pirate streaming and torrenting websites.
One of Russia’s largest torrenting platforms currently shows over 500 seeders sharing the complete first season of the series. Some pirate streaming sites have also reportedly introduced encrypted domains, allowing users to watch discreetly and with greater safety.
Due to the use of VPNs and other anonymising tools, it remains difficult to gauge the exact size of the show’s fandom within Russia. However, the enthusiasm and creative determination of Russian fans suggest Heated Rivalry has sparked something rare: an underground cultural phenomenon defying censorship in the name of queer love and representation.
