rights
"Heated Rivalry" stars score cheeky ads in a tougher environment for LGBTQ+ visibility
By Michael Wilke at LGBTQ Nation
· June 18, 2026
· 5 min read
The rising stars of the steamy, runaway HBO hit Heated Rivalry, which is about hockey players who repeatedly scored with each other, are now scoring with major advertisers too, even as Pride events struggle to hold on to sponsors. Their sculpted bottoms play important supporting roles. Related Accep
Key takeaway Related Acceptance of gay people improved a lot in the 2010s, but it's stagnating in the 2020s.
Why this matters
Local news anchors readers in their community — the people, places, and decisions that shape day-to-day life. LGBTQ News covers these stories because national outlets often won't.
About this story
Original reporting by LGBTQ Nation . LGBTQ News surfaces reporting from trusted publishers and adds local editorial context so readers can quickly understand what a story means for their community. We attribute every source, link to the original report, and follow a documented editorial standards policy. To understand how stories are selected and reviewed, read our about page .
For the complete original report, visit LGBTQ Nation . Have a tip or correction? Contact our newsroom .
Category: rights ·
Published: June 18, 2026 ·
Source: LGBTQ Nation ·
Reading time: 5 min
Get more LGBTQ News stories like this
Free weekly briefing covering rights and other local news. Curated by our editorial team. No spam.
By subscribing you agree to our privacy policy . Unsubscribe anytime.
Frequently asked about this story
What is this story about? The rising stars of the steamy, runaway HBO hit Heated Rivalry, which is about hockey players who repeatedly scored with each other, are now scoring with major advertisers too, even as Pride events struggle to hold on to sponsors. Their sculpted bottoms play important supporting roles. Related Accep
When was this published? This article was first published on June 18, 2026 by LGBTQ Nation and curated for LGBTQ News readers.
Who reported this story? This story was reported by Michael Wilke at LGBTQ Nation. To learn more about how LGBTQ News selects and reviews stories, see our editorial standards .
Where can I find related coverage? See more rights coverage from LGBTQ News, or browse our daily briefing and topic hubs .