A local news agency and one of its directors in Russia have been fined thousands of dollars by a Russian court for a review they published on the popular series “Heated Rivalry,” deemed LGBTQ+ propaganda by Russian lawmakers. The fines, reported by the independent Russian news site Mediazona, were imposed this week after SaratovBusinessConsulting posted a review of the queer hockey series, including information on streaming the show. The article, published in February and later removed, led to the fines due to its LGBTQ+ content.
The news agency was fined 500,000 rubles (over $9,000 Cdn), and the agency’s director was fined 50,000 rubles (about $900 Cdn). “Heated Rivalry,” which is available on Bell Media’s Crave platform and HBO Max in the U.S., can only be accessed in Russia through a VPN or pirated websites. Despite these restrictions, the series has garnered a significant fan base in Russia, with fan tributes and content circulating on social media.
The review that sparked the fines highlighted the series’ popularity, drawing attention from over 60,000 fans on Kinopoisk, a Russian version of IMDb, who rated “Heated Rivalry” 8.3 out of 10. The show’s storyline focuses on the relationship between Russian hockey player Ilya Rozanov and Canadian player Shane Hollander, particularly Rozanov’s struggles with his sexuality and fears of public disclosure impacting his return to Russia.
In Russia, strict laws ban LGBTQ+ content, with President Vladimir Putin signing legislation in 2022 that prohibits the dissemination of LGBTQ+ information in media and materials promoting “non-traditional” relationships. These laws have led to the removal of books and films, with instances of banned works by authors like Oscar Wilde and Haruki Murakami. Additionally, Russia has labeled the LGBTQ+ movement as extremist and has prosecuted individuals for sharing Pride flag images.