MOSCOW, June 27, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CTC Media, Inc. ("CTC Media") (Nasdaq:CTCM), Russia's leading independent media company, announces that its social TV network "Videomore" (www.videomore.ru) has attracted 10 million unique visitors since its launch 6 months ago, with an average viewership time of 30 minutes:
| Unique visitors since launch | 10 mln people |
| Daily views | 120 thnd people |
| Video library (by titles) | 5,000 |
| Visit depth | 5 pages/person |
| Registered users | 13 thnd people |
| Video views per day | 125 thnd |
| Average viewership time | 30 min |
The "Videomore" portal, launched on December 16, 2010, combines the functionality of a classic video streaming portal with the interactivity of a social network. The site was launched to capture the steep growth in the Russian internet advertising market, which is forecasted to be worth more than $200 mln in 2015, having already demonstrated significant growth from $9 mln in 2009 to $20 mln in 2010. CTC Media believes that such level of growth in internet advertising provides significant opportunities for content monetization.
"Videomore" is an interactive internet video platform that provides free access to licensed video content from CTC Media's three Russian channels – CTC, Domashny and DTV, including non-aired and third-party content. Users can watch and comment on video clips, chat and create 'video quotes' from "Videomore" videos, which can then be exported to external social networks, blogs and other websites. Users can make personal playlists and set up communal viewings with simultaneous online discussions, posting pictures, finding common interests friends, keeping a blog and competing in ratings as well as play games.
The "Videomore" project is designed to further capitalize on the level of growth offered by the rapid rise of fast internet in Russia, through the launch of several applications over the past 6 months. Such products include: applications for watching video content on Facebook, "Vkontakte", Android platforms as well as set-top-box devices and player for Mail.ru. Content available on "Videomore" can also be watched on iPad and iPhone.
Viacheslav Sinadski, Chief Strategy Officer of CTC Media, commented: "The "Videomore" network has become a popular and in-demand video-resource, with traffic growing faster than we initially expected. This is very promising and as such we will continue to develop this resource. The portal has already demonstrated its ability to consistently generate high levels of growth in traffic over several months. We now have over 100,000 viewers daily, making it attractive for advertisers and we have already started selling advertising space on "Videomore" in May, confirming the platform's success. The launch of games on the portal will further increase visiting time, and virtual cinemas, termed Real Time Playlists, which enable viewers to watch premieres and exclusive content on the platform will further drive demand from advertisers. We continue to look at the expansion of our video library, using content from the majors, as we look to further invest in "Videomore" and its brand to build value for the future."
"Videomore" allows internet users to watch legally-available videos for free and promotes the popularization of our Channels' quality licensed content. We recently launched a new project together with "Vkontakte" to combat pirated content to further boost "Videmore" traffic as our content on "Vkontakte" is shown in our branded player – commented Askar Tuganbaev, Internet Project Development Director of CTC Media – Recent premieres on the CTC Channel, which were available on the portal in catch-up format immediately after being aired have proved especially popular. Other well-known shows such as "Daddy's Girls", "Urals Pelmeni" and "6 Frames" have also been in-demand. We are considering pre-premiere demonstrations moving forward, which we hope will please our Channels' fans."
About CTC Media, Inc.
CTC Media is a leading independent media company in Russia, with operations throughout Russia and elsewhere in the CIS. It operates three free-to-air television networks in Russia – CTC, Domashny and DTV – as well as Channel 31 in Kazakhstan and TV company in Moldova, with a combined potential audience of over 150 million people. The international pay-TV version of the CTC channel is available in North America, Israel and Germany. CTC Media also owns two TV content production companies, Costafilm and Soho Media. The Company's common stock is traded on The NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol "CTCM". For more information on CTC Media, please visit www.ctcmedia.ru.
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