On May 28, Gazprombank published its financial results for the period of January-March 2021. Key indicators of Gazprom-Media Holding for the first quarter of 2021, as compared to the first quarter of 2020, are represented in the Media-Business segment.
Consolidated revenues of the Media-Business segment grew by 13% and added up to 28.2 billion rubles. Gazprom-Media Holding’s mainstream and special-interest channels made the biggest contribution to the revenue growth.
Advertising revenues in the Media-Business segment increased by 18% to 19.9 billion rubles. To compare, the Russian TV advertising market, which is a key source of revenue for Gazprom-Media Holding, grew by 5% in the first quarter of 2021 as compared to the same period in 2020, according to the National Advertising Alliance (NRA).
The Holding’s mainstream and special-interest channels make the biggest contribution to the growth in advertising revenues for the Media-Business segment. The successful launch of several new projects and new seasons of popular TV series on the Gazprom-Media channels helped to attract advertisers and grow advertising revenues. The total share of Gazprom-Media TV channels among a commercially attractive audience aged 14-44 increased to 26.6% in the first quarter of 2021 from 25.8% in the first quarter of 2020*.
Revenues from the sale of rights to audio and video reproduction increased by 2% to 5.1 billion rubles thanks to an increase in revenues from the distribution of Red Media’s special-interest channels and GPM Match’s sports channels. At the same time, the sale of rights continues to be influenced by the ongoing Covid-related restrictions on movie theatres, which is reflected in the number of large studio films that are released in theatres. Moreover, there was a high base effect in the first quarter of 2020 since the restrictions on movie theatres came into effect only at the end of March 2020 and the number of movies in theatres was significantly higher.
The operating profit of the Media-Business segment in the first quarter of 2021 grew 2.2 times and added up to 3.6 billion rubles. The increase in the positive operating figures was due to significant growth in advertising revenues in the Media-Business segment.
The net profit of the Media-Business segment quadrupled to reach 3.6 billion rubles. The efficient management of consolidated expenses, which grew at a much lower pace than consolidated revenues, contributed to the net profit growth. Consolidated expenses of the Media-Business segment increased by 5.5% in the first quarter of 2021. At the same time, consolidated revenues grew by 13%. Gazprom-Media Holding’s television business is also making a large contribution to net profit growth.
NTV
The launch of the second season of the popular Maska (The Masked Singer) show was NTV’s main event in the first quarter of 2021. It became the best entertainment show of the year with an average share of 18.1% in February-March among viewers over 18 years old. On weekdays, NTV successfully aired the premieres of the TV series Realizatsiya 2 (Realisation 2) (9.8% share) and Zapovedny Spetznaz (Nature Special Operations Forces) (10.1% share). The channel’s information and entertainment programs continue to show consistently high indicators: Tsentralnoe Televidenie (Central Television, 12% share), Itogi Nedeli s Iradoi Zaynalovoy (Weekly Summary with Irada Zeynalova, 12.6% share), Mesto Vstrechi (Meeting Place, 11.1% share), Ty ne Poverish! (You Won’t Believe This!, 11.6% share), Zvezdy Soshlis (The Stars have Aligned, 10.7% share).
NTV’s share for weekends increased by 4% in the first quarter and added up to 10.2%. There was also growth among young audiences: by 12% among the 14-44 age group, by 23% among the 18-30 group. The channel remains in second place among Russia’s “big three”.
TNT
TNT channel’s share in the first quarter of 2021 increased to 8.7%, as compared to 8.4% in the first quarter of 2020. The channel is in first place for daytime broadcasts with a share of 9.2% and in weekday primetime with a share of 11.4% (weekdays, 19:00-24:00). There were 21 premieres broadcast on TNT channel in the period of January-March 2021, including six completely new projects. Two new comedy series had a successful start on the channel - Otpusk (Vacation, 15.8% share) and Devushki s Makarovym (Makarov’s Girls, 15.9% share). Both series became leaders in their respective time slots. TNT’s entertainment lineup remains popular with viewers. This lineup includes new episodes of Comedy Club (13.2% share), Comedy Battle (10.9% share), Zhensky Stand-Up (Women’s Stand-Up, 12.7% share), Gde Logika? (Where is the Logic? 11.6% share), among others.
Match TV
The viewership share of Match TV channel increased by 28.8% in the first quarter of 2021 as compared to the same period last year and added up to 3%. In March, the channel’s viewership share among Moscow viewers reached 4.1%, which is the best indicator for Moscow in March over the channel’s entire broadcasting history. Match TV continued to show the Euro Hockey Tour in the first quarter of 2021. The viewership share of the Swedish tournament stage on Match TV was 6.6%, which is higher than the indicators for the first quarter of 2020 (4.5% share). On March 30, 2021 Match TV showed a live broadcast of the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification match between Slovakia and Russia’s national teams. The broadcast’s viewership share was 14.4%, which put Match TV in first place among all channels, with a significant lead.
TV-3
TV-3 channel’s share was 4.3% in the first quarter of 2021. The third season of the reality show Posledniy Geroy. Chempiony Protiv Novichkov (The Last Hero. Champions vs. Rookies) was the channel’s main event during the period from January-March 2021. The season’s average share in the first quarter was 5.2%. In February, the TV channel launched the documentary series Vrachy (Doctors) about rare and unusual medical cases. The viewership share of the series was 6.1% between January and March 2021.
Friday!
Friday! TV channel continues to show audience growth. The channel’s share in the first quarter of 2021 increased by 7% as compared to the same period last year. Its average share for the period of January-March 2021 was 4.4%, which is a record quarterly figure since the channel’s launch. Friday! also hit its record share for 2021 in March - 4.5%. The channel’s top projects in the first quarter were Svadba Shefa. Spetsvypusk (Boss’ Wedding. Special Edition, 8% share), and the new seasons of the shows Na Nozhah (Knives Out, 7.9%), Mir Naiznanku. Pakistan (The World Inside Out. Pakistan, 6.8%), Chetyre Svadby (Four Weddings, 6.2%), Bolshoy Vypusk (Big Release, 5.3%). For example, the first episode of the new season of Na Nozhah aired on March 10 with a share of 10.1%, which put the channel in first place in the 19:00-20:00 time slot among other television channels. The first episode of Mir Naiznanku. Pakistan reached a viewership share of 8.7%, which was a record figure for the project.
Subbota!
The Subbota! TV channel began broadcasting in February 2021 and is already showing rapid audience growth. The average share of the channel among a female audience aged 18-45 was 1.5% in the first quarter of 2021, which is 71% higher than Super channel’s share in the first quarter of 2020. Subbota! reached a record monthly share of 1.6% in March, as compared to 2020, and on March 1 the channel reached a record daily share - 2.4%. The programming of the new Subbota! TV channel is made up of cult TV series such as Charmed, Wild Angel and Supernatural. The channel has also already released its own projects in the first months of broadcasting. In March it launched the entertainment news show Subbota! News and the reality show Skazhi Platuy ‘Da!’, an adaptation of the American reality show Say Yes To The Dress.
*Mediascope, Russia, cities with a population over 100,000 people, period 01.01.2021-31.03.2021, 01.01.2020-31.03.2020; audience “14-44” for TNT, TV-3, Friday!; audience “Women 18-45” for Subbota!; audience “Men 14-59” for Match TV; audience “18+” for NTV. Average share indicator (%), rating (%).