Director and creator Jacob Tierney of the Canadian LGBTQ+ hit series "Heated Rivalry," which was picked up by HBO, recently announced additional countries where the series will soon be available for viewing, with Israel among them. The announcement came shortly after the HBO Max streaming service launched in Israel.
As expected, pro-Palestinian hate responses flooded the post announcing the news on social media – this while Israel is the only country in the Middle East where the series can be broadcast for cultural and social reasons.
The responses ranged from "Sorry, but Israel is Palestine," "I was really excited about the country list until I saw Israel. Free Palestine!", "Israel? You really want to be on the boycott list?", and "Sorry, but absolutely not. Free Palestine!" – predictable fare on the social network.
"Heated Rivalry" is a romantic sports drama series based on the "Game Changers" book series by Rachel Reid. The series follows the story of two rival ice hockey players, Shane Hollander (Hudson Williams) and Ilya Rozanov (Connor Story), whose mutual rivalry masks a secret, passionate romance.
The series premiered in Canada on November 28, 2025, on the local streaming service Crave, and was simultaneously distributed in other regions worldwide on additional platforms, including HBO Max, which purchased it. It received critical acclaim and succeeded in creating a large fan base around the world, composed mostly (but not exclusively) of women. On December 12, it was announced that the series would be renewed for a second season. The series will be available in Israel starting January 23.
