The company and START founders plan to merge two internet cinemas.
After joining, a new content offer will appear on the START video service: premieres of original projects will continue to appear under one subscription, Internet broadcasting of a wide package of TV channels will be launched, and the offer will also increase significantly foreign films and series.
By 2022, MegaFon had developed two video services for its subscribers. START (MegaFon owns 50% of shares) provided the best premiere offer for original series and movies of its own production, while MegaFon TV acted as a video exchange with a wide range of products: from TV channels to new movies and series.
“Already at the time of our acquisition of START shares in 2020, we said that both products in the company’s portfolio are complementary to each other and each of them has its own unique group of recipients. We are ready to combine these two platforms into one for maximum user convenience, ”says Alexander Sobolev, director of strategy and business development at MegaFon.
The transition to the new format is planned from May. START, as a leader in the production of original content (TelecomDaily study based on the results from 2021), will offer users in 2022 more than 24 premieres of its own production: new seasons of the series Vampires of the Middle Belt, Mediator, Kontener, IP Pirogova and others. As well as popular films and series of Russian and foreign producers, including a wide catalog of children’s content, as well as more than 100 TV channels. At the same time, MegaFon TV will be supported for subscribers throughout the year, and existing MegaFon TV users will be offered favorable conditions for switching to START.
«The combination of both services — both in terms of content and team — and the focus of MegaFon’s efforts on promoting one video service among its subscribers will allow START to significantly increase the subscriber base and take an even more significant place in the market,» says START president Dmitry Gudumak. Dmitry also emphasized that special conditions for the provision of the service are being developed for new and existing MegaFon subscribers.
