Gazprom-Media on YouTube: Long-Term Partnerships, Domestic Alternatives

Gazprom-Media’s press service has stated that establishing long-term and clear business relationships with the YouTube platform is currently not possible. The company emphasized that the unilateral termination of accounts or services creates a persistent barrier to stable collaboration, making predictable partnerships unattainable. This stance follows a broader pattern of caution from Gazprom-Media about platforms that control access and distribution, and it reflects a strategic shift toward domestic alternatives for hosting and viewing content. The press service advised content producers to consider relying on the Russian online service Rutube as the primary platform for hosting and consuming videos, arguing that a domestically controlled ecosystem can offer greater reliability and fewer surprises in the business relationship between media creators and the hosting environment. Gazprom-Media characterized the current platform dynamic as one-sided and unpredictable, noting that such conduct undermines the trust that is essential for long-term media collaborations and joint ventures. In light of these concerns, the company underscored the importance of evaluating national alternatives that align with local regulatory contexts, content laws, and cross-border data considerations, while continuing to monitor developments within the global video hosting landscape as they relate to content distribution strategies and revenue models.