Keep in the platform: the number of online movie theater viewers in the Russian Federation increased by a third

The number of users of online cinemas in Russia has increased by a third, exceeding 58 million people. Viewers are increasingly choosing these platforms, as the price of a ticket for a single show in conventional cinemas has long been comparable to the cost of a monthly subscription, and often even higher. In addition, the content is diverse and there are no advertisements. However, according to experts, today the number of users can also grow due to ecosystem subscriptions by companies, when Russians are offered several services at the same price or a person chooses some platform and receives additional ones as a bonus.

By how much online services have increased their subscriber base

Russian users are increasingly attracted by the content of online movie theaters. Over the year, their total number grew from 45 million to 58 million, increasing by almost 30% in 2024 compared to 2023. This follows from the report of TelecomDaily agency, which was familiarized by Izvestia.

According to Denis Kuskov, CEO of the agency, the growth is explained by the lack of advertising in the projects and their diversity. Now online cinemas are expanding the lines of original content, providing the client with more and more new options.

The most popular services in terms of the share of paid users were Kinopoisk and Wink, the share of each of them amounted to 76%. Kion has 71%, Okko has 70%, and Ivi has 61%. The share was calculated based on 100% of each service.

However, the number of subscribers can grow if they purchase an ecosystem subscription, even if they do not use it, for example, online movie theaters, said "Izvestia" operating director of the communication agency Breaking Trends, a member of the Union of Journalists of Russia Victoria Zagitova.

- When subscribing, they become members of the platform, and their activity can be distributed among various services (for example, books, music, and so on). When analyzing indicators, it is important to take into account how exactly subscribers interact with each service within the ecosystem in order to assess the real engagement of the audience," she explained.

After the YouTube slowdown, viewers began to look for alternatives, according to Georgiy Lapshakov, CEO of the Soil Influence Agency. Back in August, there was a sharp increase, especially in the segment of children's content, when some services, such as Kinopoisk, introduced a separate category to simplify navigation. Wink expanded its functionality by adding a section with blogger projects and launching a monetization program.

- Marketing activities of ecosystems that offer subscriptions that already include access to movie theaters cannot be ruled out," the expert said.

In addition, many people discovered domestic platforms for the first time, found interesting content and became loyal users. Given that a record number of projects have been launched in Russia over the past three years, it is not surprising that with limited access to foreign analogs, the audience of Russian streaming services is growing.

Wink's press office told Izvestia that the company's revenue for 2024 increased by 21%, and one online cinema viewer receives an average of 99 hours of viewing per month, including TV airtime.

- We generally see an increase in viewer interest in domestic content. According to our statistics, the share of its watching in relation to foreign content for 2024 rose to 67% from 57.5% in 2023," the service said. - In 2025 viewers will see the comedy musical series "VIA Vasilki", romantic musical "Moscow does not believe in tears. Everything is just beginning" (working title) from Olga Dolmatovskaya and Zhora Kryzhovnikov. In addition, our audience is waiting for the continuation of the popular series "Fisher", "Curious Varvara", "I'm Leaving Beautifully" and "Children of Change".

For the online cinema Okko 2024 became the most successful year in its history - the total viewing time tripled (by 208%) compared to 2023, the press service told Izvestia. The key factors were original series and movies, full-length exclusives, sports broadcasts, and children's content.

- Now Okko is releasing "Outsource" with Ivan Yankovsky, the most anticipated project, which won the eponymous nomination at the New Season festival. We also continue to show mystical thriller "Ghost Hunters", documentary series about Russian players in European soccer "Western Stand", produced by Nobel Arustamyan, and a series about the iconic Moscow club "Mama, we are CSKA!"" - said the press service.

What online cinemas will show in 2025

START service continues to confidently hold the bar of one of the most expensive online cinemas.

- We do not reduce the cost in pursuit of a wide audience and do not integrate the advertising model, but, on the contrary, invest in premium content - our own and co-invest/buy original projects of other platforms, which justifies for the viewer the cost of subscription and builds loyalty, - explained in the company.

In 2025, the service will bet on the development of franchises, such as "Inspector Gavrilov", "Two Hills" and others, as well as the creation of new series, such as the glossy drama "Dangerous Proximity" with Elizaveta Boyarskaya and Andrei Konchalovsky's series "Chronicles of the Russian Revolution" with Yura Borisov.

According to the PREMIER press service, the time of watching in the online cinema in 2024 grew in all directions. This included a 76% increase in viewing of live TV channels. This year will see the release of Taiga Detective, Miracle, Beast Boy 2 and many more.

The main growth driver and flagship direction for KION remains Originals, for 2024 the service released 28 of its own projects, told "Izvestia" in the online cinema. The most popular among users of the platform was the new season of the drama "Life on Call" with Pavel Priluchny.

The growth in popularity of online cinemas is due not only to the convenience of access to content, but also to the development of technology - from high-speed Internet to personalized recommendations, said Victoria Zagitova. She also noted that the cost of a movie theater ticket is now equal to the cost of a monthly subscription. The prospects of traditional cinemas depend on adaptation to new realities. An important role can be played by event screenings, special formats such as IMAX, and integration with digital services, such as joint releases.

Yes, viewers have become more likely to choose online services, but classic moviegoing is still in demand, especially for high-profile premieres and festival screenings, the expert emphasized. However, for sustainable growth, cinemas need to offer more than just watching a movie - a unique experience that is not available online.