The 27th Media Industry Forum CSTB.PRO.MEDIA 2025 has finished its work in Moscow

The 27th CSTB.PRO.MEDIA Media Industry Forum, held on February 25-26, 2025 in Moscow, has completed its work. The forum highlights key trends in the Russian media market. In 2025, the business program included 13 sessions, panel discussions and round tables with more than 130 speakers. The exhibition featured solutions for the industry from more than 150 brands.

Within the framework of the forum, the ORIGINAL+ content festival of streaming platforms was held, where competitive works were shown, as well as a demonstration of the new "Innovation" nomination.

On the evening of February 25, the results of the 16th National Award "Big Number" were summed up in a solemn atmosphere. And on February 26, PROMO FEST PAY TV, a very important festival for the industry, took place for the second time.

The business program of the forum was opened by the Strategic Session "The role of the media industry in the current situation. Russian content at home and abroad." Moderator: Denis Kuskov, CEO of IA Telecom Daily.

The session began with an analytical report by Ksenia Achkasova, Executive Director of Mediascope. The TOP 3 thematic channels in terms of popularity include channels broadcasting movies and TV series, educational content and children's content. According to Achkasova, TV series remain the most popular genre among all age groups.

Dmitry Borisov, General Producer of the Digital Television Family, in his speech touched upon the topic of the production of their own original content by TV channels. In his opinion, this may be relevant for the largest and most prominent paid channels. "But originals for pay TV channels is more an experiment and a quality mark, rather than a fundamental course of development," Brisov explained.

Ekaterina Larina, Director of the Department for the Development of Mass Communications and International Cooperation at the Ministry of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media of the Russian Federation, commented on the slowdown of YouTube in Russia, saying that the flow of users from YouTube could have been more significant if domestic platforms had greeted the viewer more "hospitably", that is, not all content interesting to viewers can be found on domestic sites.. Larina also noted in her speech that the audience is not only the market and money, but also meanings, and the harmonious interaction of all players will contribute to the development of the industry. Anton Volodkin, CEO of WINK, added that the collaboration of channels and online platforms is justified by various factors. This includes revenue sharing and specialization of different TV channels, which ultimately leads to cost sharing and audience engagement. According to Dmitry Pashutin, Director of Strategy at the National Media Group, television viewing is becoming increasingly fragmented today, which is why digital distribution of TV content is relevant.

Evgenia Danilchenko, Director of Public Relations at ANO IRI: "The work of the IRI is a contribution to a long–term strategy. In 4 years, there have been more than 2,000 titles and more than 19 billion views. If we talk about working with online cinemas, it is important for us that the content that is created with the support of the IRI resonates with the audience and is interesting in 5-10 years." Danilchenko also added that Iran is observing a request for serious topics, for children's content and for content for an audience of teenagers who have already outgrown cartoons. Among the trends, Danilchenko highlighted the fact that Russian projects have replaced foreign products with imports.

Daria Pugacheva, Director of the Gazprom Media Holding's Research Department, presented at the forum the results of a study of the image of a hero in Russian films and TV series, during which 43 archetypes of heroes were identified. According to Daria Pugacheva, today people need an active character who is able to change their lives for the better.: "Let it be accompanied by difficulties, personal transformations of the hero, but it leads to positive changes, stability, which is now a big demand."

At the "Pay TV. What drives the market in 2025" experts discussed content screening for prohibited propaganda, as well as the interaction of operators and TV channels, and new monetization models. Moderators: Daria Boyarinova, expert; Oleg Grishchenko, President of the Rosteleset Association.

At the beginning of the session, Tricolor Content Production Director Marina Gasparyan presented data on television viewing in recent years. Federal TV channels are still in the lead, and the TOP 3 are: Rossiya 1, NTV and Channel One. Thematic TV channels have a large representation in the TOP 50. Marina Gasparyan noted the growing share of TV channels with domestic content: "It is more interesting for the Russian audience to watch content about themselves. Moreover, there is an increasing demand for film series content in general and, in particular, on patriotic topics."

Margarita Golovina, Director of the Wink Content Department, spoke about the effectiveness of converting TV viewing to online. The company offers different types of content as a recommendation and notes the growth of subscribers who watch linear TV in online cinemas.

Among the prospects for the development of the pay-TV market, the panelists highlighted: the creation of content using AI, the possibility of vertical viewing on TV channels, the continuation of the niche trend, the synergy of linear content and VOD, the introduction of modern technologies into various TV processes, the on-air promotion of TV channels in cities, as well as the development of children's content.

Dmitry Zakharov, VK's Media Services Strategy Director, said that VK hosts content based on an advertising model. The service relies on professional blogging content and UGC content. Blogger content helps attract an audience to the service, while UGC content allows you to retain your audience, increase viewing time, and expand your content base. Zakharov also stressed the importance of the recommendation service on the platforms. According to him, there will be no good recommendation without high-quality content. Conversely, without a good recommendation system, it is impossible to find good content.

Marina Pikuleva, Director of Special Research at Mediascope, noted that the vast majority of children aged 4-5 use the Internet, and only 10% do not use it at this age. Among children aged 6-8, the proportion of Internet users is even higher - 97%. Children prefer blogs about unpacking and reviews of various products, as well as about life hacks and useful tips. The third place differs among boys and girls. For example, boys prefer content with reactions (to movies, games), while girls prefer beauty blogs.

Pikuleva also noted that children and teenagers love domestic content more.

Over 5,300 industry professionals attended the CSTB.PRO.MEDIA 2025 business events over two days. The partners were the largest media players – more than 40 organizations, companies and specialized associations. The main partner of the forum and the Big Digital Award was Channel One. Worldwide network".