Neural network filter: online cinemas have increased the number of users to a record

The number of online cinema users in the first half of the year jumped by 44%, to 52 million people, Izvestia learned. The reason is the more active introduction of artificial intelligence technologies, which adjusts content to the interests of the viewer, as well as unified subscriptions with other services of digital ecosystems, for example, in addition to movies for music, delivery and other services.

What influenced the growth of subscribers

The online cinema market in Russia has shown significant growth — the total number of users in the first half of the year reached 67 million people, of which 52 million signed up for paid subscriptions, told Izvestia in TelecomDaily. This is a 44% increase compared to the same period in 2024, when the figure was 36 million people.

The top five players in terms of subscribers are Kinopoisk, Okko, Ivi, Wink, and Kion. These services serve about 86% of the Russian audience. In terms of the share of subscribers with a paid subscription, the first Kinopoisk is still 23%. Wink is in second place with 16.6%, while Okko and Kion actually share third place with 16.1% and 16%, respectively. Ivi is in fifth position with a share of 14.3%.

Kion increased the number of subscriptions faster than the others among platforms serving more than 1 million users — by 44.5%, the second Okko — by 41.3%, and the third Premier — by 24.7%.

— Special attention is paid to the introduction of artificial intelligence, which helps to more accurately predict the interests of users and increases the time of their interaction with the platform. Online cinemas are becoming more integrated into the everyday digital environment of Russians, turning from ordinary streaming services into full-fledged media platforms, Denis Kuskov, CEO of TelecomDaily, told Izvestia.

According to him, online cinemas are becoming part of multiservice subscriptions that combine access to movies, music, books, delivery and other digital services within a single ecosystem. Viewers are more willing to pay for high-quality and personalized content, and platforms are increasing competition for audience attention not only through film libraries, but also through technology, user experience, and ecosystem solutions, he added.

How online cinemas take preferences into account

Kinopoisk is working not only on recommendations, but also on developing multiscenes so that the online cinema is available for all viewing formats: films and TV series, children's content in a separate profile, sports broadcasts and TV channels, said Ksenia Boletskaya, Director of Industry Relations at Yandex.

— Recommendations help maximize the audience of movies and TV series, as well as sports sections. For several years now, the Kinopoisk recommendation system has been based on AI and ML algorithms, which are based not only on viewing data, but also on Yandex search data, as well as the Kinopoisk encyclopedia itself. We know how much our viewers are interested in even those projects that are not available for viewing in a subscription, but are available on other streaming services," she said.

For example, subscribers who have watched Turkish TV series like the series "Gold Mine", and anime fans rate the film "Major Thunder: The Game" above others, said Ksenia Boletskaya. Also, for example, if the viewer more often includes films from the "Continue watching" section, then it will be located higher in the online cinema feed, and if a person is used to choosing films and TV series from the "TV series based on your interests" selection, then it will be a priority for him.

Wink, in turn, is not just a video service, but a personal media ecosystem created taking into account the unique preferences of each user. It is based on a powerful AI platform, said Oleg Nikitin, Director of Technology and Products at the online cinema.

According to him, the recommendation system analyzes in real time the user's browsing history and ratings, similarities and differences in the behavior of millions of other viewers (collaborative filtering), the deep characteristics of the content (plot, mood, actors, directors, visual style), as well as the context — time of day, day of the week, viewing device.

In addition, with the help of AI, the interface dynamically adjusts to human habits, the search takes into account personal preferences, and notifications come only about relevant news — whether it's a new episode of your favorite TV series or a movie from your favorite director.

Premier noted that the subscriber growth is primarily due to the high-quality series that are offered to the viewer, Victoria Mikhno, the general director of the service, told Izvestia.

"We are user—oriented and know their preferences, which allows our recommendation system to offer exactly the content they are interested in," she said.

The Kion press service reported that they are actively developing AI and Big Data technologies — based on them, a system of personal recommendations works that selects content to suit each person's tastes. This increases engagement, increases viewing time, and improves the user experience. They named original projects as the main drivers of growth.

What online cinemas offer users

Yulia Zagitova, founder of Breaking Trends and secretary of the Russian Union of Journalists, believes that the growth of the online cinema audience is a natural result of how quickly and flexibly Russian platforms are developing. Today, it is important for the viewer not only what to watch, but also how — conveniently, quickly, in one interface with music, delivery, and training, the expert emphasized.

According to her, AI technologies have played a key role in this area. Smart recommendations save time, make browsing truly personal, and most importantly, form a person's habit of returning to the platform over and over again, she noted.

— We are literally starting to trust AI with our leisure time. This is a very powerful effect, and our services use it wisely. Such growth is not just about numbers. This is about the fact that in conditions of high competition and sanctions pressure, the industry finds resources for growth, invests in technology, and, most importantly, thinks about the user," said Yulia Zagitova.

The increase in subscriptions, according to Anton Nemkin, a member of the State Duma Committee on Information Policy, Information Technologies and Communications, federal coordinator of the Digital Russia party project, is due to several factors: the technological maturity of platforms and a change in the consumer model.

— Artificial intelligence technologies play a key role here. Modern algorithms do not just "recommend similar things", but analyze user behavior in a comprehensive manner, taking into account the time of day, device type, and dynamics of interests. This increases engagement and makes the platform a part of everyday life," said Anton Nemkin.

It is also important that online cinemas are no longer passive storefronts. Many develop original productions, create a line of local content, work with regions, and support festival and niche formats. All this makes the platforms closer to the viewer, especially in the context of the withdrawal of major foreign players from the market, the expert concluded.