Russian OTT market growth continues

The Russian legal OTT market was worth R11.1 billion (€152.7 million) in 2018.This, according to ComNews, quoting data produced by TMT Consulting, was 45% more than a year earlier and down to such factors as an increase in paying audiences and more exclusive content secured through partnerships with leading Russian and Hollywood Studios.The entrance into the market of such leading internet companies as Yandex and Rambler also had a positive impact, while piracy remained a problem. Revenues from paid OTT services amounted to R7.6 billion in 2018, an increase of 70% on a year earlier. At the same time, revenues from ad-supported services rose by 10% to R3.5 billion. The share of revenues from user payments rose by another 10 percentage points during the year to reach 68%.