Leading pay TV providers in Russia 2023, by revenue share

Russian telecommunications company Rostelecom had the largest share in the pay television market volume in 2023, with its revenue accounting for 40 percent of the total. To compare, Tricolor TV occupied a market share of 14 percent. The market size of telecommunications in Russia reached over 1.8 trillion Russian rubles in 2022.

Pay television in Russia

Over 46 billion Russians were subscribed to pay TV, or television services offered on a subscription basis for a fee in 2024. During the COVID-19 lockdown in March and April 2020, several pay TV providers, including Tricolor, Rostelecom, and ER Telecom offered free access to their content to consumers.

Tricolor in Russia

Tricolor, formerly Tricolor TV, also known as JSC National Satellite Company, was founded in 2005 in Saint Petersburg and has the largest premium TV subscriber count in Russia. Started as a satellite provider, it expanded its range of digital services to other entertainment media, such as online video, and electronic devices. For instance, the company offers a package allowing to use pay TV services not only from a TV set, but also on smartphones and tablets. In 2019, Tricolor launched a smart home service for consumers to manage their gadgets from a smart TV or an app.