Highlights
- Under Armour names Heated Rivalry star François Arnaud global brand ambassador.
- Arnaud fronts new “For When It’s Hot” HeatGear campaign, out globally now.
- Actor calls the deal a full-circle moment after early “skinny, awkward kid” days.
Heated Rivalry heartthrob François Arnaud has officially traded his hockey gear for a global ad campaign — and the internet is not okay.
Under Armour announced Thursday (July 23, 2026) that the Canadian actor has signed on as its newest global brand ambassador, fronting the brand’s steamy new “For When It’s Hot” push.
The campaign leans hard into the moment, celebrating Under Armour’s “iconic HeatGear® franchise and the performance ecosystem surrounding it”, and spotlighting products including UA Vanish Elite, UA Icon Fleece, UA Sola and UA Reign XT.
The partnership feels almost inevitable to fans of the HBO Max hockey drama. Arnaud plays closeted team captain Scott Hunter, a role that had viewers buzzing over his physique — and his character’s very on-brand wardrobe.
Under Armour gear made an early impression when Arnaud’s character wore a skintight shirt in episode three, a scene fans have not stopped talking about since.
For Arnaud, the ambassadorship marks a full-circle moment. “If you’d told the skinny awkward kid I used to be that one day I’d be an ambassador for a sportswear brand, I would’ve laughed,” the actor said in a statement.
Under Armour’s chief communications officer, Matt Dornic, said the brand was drawn to more than Arnaud’s looks. “What drew us to François was more than his obvious talent and looks, it was what he represents,” Dornic said.
The company’s SVP of global brand and Americas marketing, Tyler Rutstein, added that Arnaud taps into a cultural moment Under Armour wants in on. “François is at the center of a moment that fans are genuinely passionate about, and we’re excited to be part of it,” Rutstein said.
Alongside the campaign announcement, Under Armour released a new commercial showing Arnaud, who is openly bisexual, working up a sweat in a garage gym while catching the eye of both a woman and a man.
The deal builds on Under Armour’s recent run of star-studded partnerships, which also includes country singer Parker McCollum and rapper Gunna.
Arnaud’s first campaign for the brand launched globally this week, arriving right in the thick of summer — perfectly on theme for a line called HeatGear.
