YouTube Accounted for All Video Viewing Growth in Russia

Average video viewing time in Russia grew by 6%, reaching 87.7 minutes per day per user in the first half of 2026. All of this growth came from a single player: YouTube. If it is excluded from the statistics, total viewing time on the country's largest video platforms fell by 5%. These figures were reported by Kommersant, citing a study by Future Lab (part of Starlink Group).

The contrast with last year is telling. In the first half of 2025, the picture was the exact opposite: Russian platforms, excluding YouTube, grew by 32%, while including YouTube they fell by 27%. Now YouTube has increased its viewing time by 24% year over year, to 99 minutes per day per user.

How Individual Platforms Are Faring

• Rutube: average viewing time decreased by almost 5%, to 41 minutes per day per user.
• Yandex Video: growth of 3.2%.
• Wink: a decline of 3.3%.
• Kinopoisk: a decrease of 1.8%.

Platforms' Reactions

Rutube disagreed with Future Lab's assessment. Representatives of the platform said they see no decline in video consumption. Citing Mediascope data, Rutube's press service reported that viewing time per capita, including embedded views, grew by 9.1% in the first six months of 2026.

At Yandex, the growth of Yandex Video was attributed to the quality of search and content recommendations. At Wink, the impact of mobile internet restrictions in the country was noted: according to the service's representatives, it was these restrictions that affected views from mobile devices.

The Scale of YouTube in Money

One figure explains the market dynamics. By the end of 2025, YouTube had earned $40.4 billion from advertising. That is more than Disney, NBC, Paramount, and Warner Bros. combined.