PRESS: Russia’s media giants could team up to sell content online

MOSCOW, Jul 22 (PRIME) -- Russia’s biggest media holdings – Channel One, Gazprom-Media Holding, VGTRK, National Media Group and CTC Media – are studying an option of creating a common platform to monetize their content in the Internet, business daily Kommersant reported Friday.

Several sources familiar with the matter said the media holdings have been consulting with various content aggregators regarding the economics of the project. If a launch of a common window has enough economic grounds, the five companies will set up a joint venture to manage the project.

The companies have agreed so far to envision such an opportunity. In case of a lack of economic grounds, each of the holdings will continue developing online on an independent basis, an unnamed top manager of one of the companies said.

Key decisions will be made no sooner than in September, the companies’ managers said.

At present, the holdings work on their own online resources. Channel One releases series on Kino.1tv.ru with subscription access. Gazprom-Media Holding has TV channel TNT with its online window on Rutube.ru, and projects of CTC Media are available on Videomore.ru.

The most famous example of a similar project is the U.S.’ Hulu, owned by media companies Walt Disney, 21st Century Fox and Comcast and broadcasting content of Fox, ABC, NBC and others.

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