In early 2022, Russian streaming services showed a notable uptick in the time viewers spent watching films and television series online, according to a report from Vedomosti. This shift reflects a broader pattern of rising engagement with domestic online cinemas during the period.
When compared with the previous year, total viewing time across Russian online cinemas grew by about 60 percent at the start of 2022. Among the platforms, Kion online cinema led the surge with about a fourfold increase in watch time, while Premier online cinema experienced a more modest rise of around 22 percent. These figures illustrate how different streaming services captured different levels of audience attention in a growing market. Source: Vedomosti.
Other services also posted solid gains in viewing duration. Wink saw a rise of roughly 67 percent, Start around 58 percent, Okko about 39 percent, and Evie approximately 31 percent. Kinopoisk boosted viewer watch time by more than twice its previous level. These numbers point to a robust expansion in streaming activity across multiple platforms, driven by a mix of new content and ongoing subscriber interest. Source: Vedomosti.
The reported data reflect a composite measure that accounts for several viewing formats, including subscriptions, advertising-supported streams, and transactional purchases. Across the board, the most watched titles tended to be flagship original films and platform-specific series, underscoring the importance of exclusive content in shaping viewer behavior. Source: Vedomosti.
At the same time, early forecasts from the period suggested that Russian online cinemas could see a reduction in active subscribers, potentially up to a quarter, if Hollywood premieres did not reappear on screens. This warning highlighted the sensitivity of subscriber levels to marquee international releases and the competitive dynamics among local platforms. Source: Vedomosti.
Looking at the broader picture, the early 2022 data illustrate how streaming platforms in Russia navigated a rapidly evolving entertainment landscape. Viewers increasingly turned to online cinemas for both new releases and enduring favorites, while platforms experimented with pricing models and library breadth to attract and retain subscribers. The emphasis on original content and platform-produced series also suggested a strategy aimed at reducing reliance on foreign premieres and strengthening domestic productions. Source: Vedomosti.
From a user perspective, the trends indicate that audience habits shifted toward longer streaming sessions and a growing willingness to explore multiple services. For operators, the takeaway centers on the continuing value of exclusive content, effective recommendation systems, and flexible access options that cover subscription, ad-supported, and transactional viewing. These factors together helped shape the overall growth in time spent within Russian online cinemas during the first months of 2022. Source: Vedomosti.