Gazprom-Media is creating its own online cinema

RBC learned that Gazprom-Media is creating its own video service in the spring to monetize the content of the holding’s entertainment TV channels on the Internet.

• Gazprom-Media has been investing in video services since 2008: then the holding bought the Rutube service for $15 million. In 2011, one of the holding’s channels, TNT, created the online cinema Now.ru , which operated on a paid subscription, but the project never materialized became profitable.
• In 2014, Gazprom-Media spent 1.3 billion rubles to buy out about 74% of WebMediaGroup, which owns the Zoomby online cinema, from its shareholder, Gazprombank. But the project did not pay off, Zoomby actually ceased to exist, and the holding transferred Rutube and Now.ru to Pladform (now Ruform) in exchange for 33.3% of the company.
• In 2016, NMG, VGTRK, STS Media and Channel One decided to create a single video service, Vitrina, in which Gazprom-Media refused to participate. Since 2017, the holding has 26% ownership of Start Media LLC, which includes the Start cinema.
• At the end of 2016, TMT Consulting named ivi the largest online cinema with revenue of almost 1.6 billion rubles. (market share – 33%). The second largest player is Okko with revenue of about 770 million rubles. (16%). The audience of the entire online cinema market is 39.6 million people.

What's in it for me?

If another attempt by Russia's largest holding company to enter the video services market ends successfully, Ivi will have a serious competitor.

Marina Bocharova, The Bell