Talking and showing: the most popular TV channels of 2024 are named
"Russia 1" topped the rating of TV channels by audience share in 2024, followed by NTV, Channel 5, Channel One and REN TV. Such data was provided to Izvestia by Mediascope. Domashniy and STS are the leaders among entertainment programs. The most successful, according to experts, were the channels that staked on family content. Which projects have become the most popular and what the television market is expecting in the coming year - in the material of "Izvestia".
How the top of popular channels has changed
Mediascope summarized the results of the past television year. The first two positions were retained by Russia 1 (14%) and NTV (9.5%). Channel 5 moved up to third place, having increased its audience share by 0.3 p.p. to 7.7%. Channel One took the fourth position (7.3%), while REN TV retained the fifth position, increasing its share by 0.6 p.p. to 6.9% - the maximum growth among the channels of the Big Ten.
In the segment of entertainment broadcasting, Domashniy (on the sixth line of the overall rating) and STS (on the seventh line) are the leaders. TV Center and TNT follow, and the top ten is rounded off by Zvezda, which rose from twelfth place over the year.
According to Mediascope, Rossiya 1 is also the leader in the top 10 movies and TV series. The channel showed eight of the ten most popular projects in 2024, among them: "Cheburashka", "Konek Gorbunok", "On Pike's Will", "Ivan Vasilyevich Changes Profession". As for the rating of unique programs, in addition to Russia 1, Channel One and NTV are the leaders: "Blue Light on Shabolovka," "New Year's Eve on First. 30 Years Together", "Hello, Andrey!", "Nevsky. Close Enemy" and others.
The top five broadcasters remained the same - this shows that domestic television continues to confidently hold the attention of viewers, Victoria Zagitova, Operations Director of the Breaking Trends communications agency, member of the Union of Journalists of Russia, told Izvestia. According to her, these channels skillfully combine traditional formats and topical content, which allows them to remain in demand.
Content for the whole family
In addition to the overall rating, which takes into account all viewers in the country from four years old, Mediascope conducts measurements in individual age categories. The segment from 10 to 45 years old is considered a family segment, it is the most attractive for advertisers, and TV channels actively compete for the audience in this category. As a rule, those who offer more entertaining and informative content are the leaders here. For the fifth year in a row, STS, the country's main entertainment channel, has taken the first place here. But the second line this time for the first time was taken by REN TV, which over the year overtook TNT (in third position) and grew by 0.4 p.p. to 7.6%.
In 2024, which was declared the Year of the Family in Russia, experts recorded a trend towards the actualization of family values and popularization of images of domestic heroes. It is not the first year that STS has been betting on such content and, as can be seen from the rating, justifiably. In the airwaves favorite series and movies: "Daddy's Daughters. New", "Ivanovs-Ivanovs", "The Last Bogatyr" and others.
As NMG General Director Svetlana Balanova emphasized earlier, young people have become more interested in Russia's cultural code. As an example, she cited the REN TV program "Legends and Myths". The program explores prototypes of heroes of legends, myths and fairy tales to reveal to the viewer unique findings from different historical epochs. In addition, popular projects on the channel last year were the programs "Buy and Sell", "Crazy Facts", the series "ZIG ZAG Gang" and others.
Victoria Zagitova confirms the relevance of the family trend. These values are the basis of Russian society, she emphasized.
- I am sure that this trend will only grow stronger. Television will continue to create programs that unite generations, inspire mutual understanding and support within families,- said the expert.
Events and trends
In 2024, one of the biggest deals in recent years took place - Media1 media holding was sold to a group of investors, including Media-Telecom (a joint venture of Rostelecom and NMG). According to experts, the acquired channels - Muz-TV, Yu and Sun - will add even more opportunities for the companies to work with a young audience.
The press service of NMG noted that according to the results of 2024, NMG maintains a strong leadership in terms of audience share of channels in the context of all media holdings with a share of 25%, further widening the gap with other market players.
In 2024, NMG and RDIF created a joint commercial fund for the development of cinema and animation, and NMG Doc, a documentary production cluster, began its operations. The holding also announced the first co-production with China - a Russian feature film "Red Silk" directed by Andrei Volgin will be released this year.
After the departure of Western majors, domestic broadcasters will continue to rely on their own production. And every year the amount of such content grows by times. Thus, this indicator on NMG channels in 2024 has grown compared to 2022 almost one and a half times in hours, the holding said. VGTRK TV channels also have their own formats.
Media expert Pavel Rudchenko believes that in 2025 the viewer's attention will also be focused on the political and international arena, the emphasis on hot topics and informational content will remain. Denis Kuskov, general director of TelecomDaily, agrees. He expects new journalistic shows to appear on federal channels.
In Victoria Zagitova's opinion, viewers are expecting more interactive content, where they will be more actively involved in the process.
- I think that topics related to personal growth, healthy lifestyle, future technologies and ecology will come to the forefront. There will also be a continued interest in historical and cultural projects that help us understand our past and build a confident future," she said.
Niche projects for young people, dedicated to their interests - from cybersports to new media formats (for example, short film series) - will also grow, and the direction of popular science programs will expand. The main thing is that the content should remain sincere, interesting and close to each viewer - this is the secret of success of national television, the expert summarized.
The Mediascope research company has been acting as the official TV audience meter in the country since 2017. Its report is the most authoritative and objective verdict of the TV industry, allowing to assess not only the overall results of channels, but also their success in working with different age audiences, as well as the performance of specific projects.
In July 2024, Mediascope for the first time published data on the 0+ panel, which takes into account the audience of all population centers in the country. Previously, the 100+ panel was available, which included only the largest cities and, as a result, showed the preferences of viewers of, in fact, only half of Russia. Although the 0+ panel itself appeared back in 2019, and its data was used to determine the cost of advertising, it was not published openly by agreement between Mediascope and TV channels. The industry considered Mediascope's decision to change its approach to be logical and justified.
