What CTC MEDIA does

CTC Media is a Russian television holding company and a subsidiary of National Media Group, operating five specialized entertainment TV channels that together cover distinct audience demographics. The flagship CTC channel, broadcasting since December 1996, targets family viewers aged 10-45 and has held first place in its target audience for many years per VCIOM research; Domashniy serves as Russia's main women's channel with 90% in-house produced melodramas and lifestyle programming; CHE! focuses on reality and entertainment for the 25-49 segment; CTC Love offers nostalgic comfort viewing; and CTC Kids delivers children's programming whose schedule is developed with Moscow State University psychology faculty recommendations. The company produces an extensive content library comprising 3,271 hours of premier releases and eight successful reality franchises, alongside proprietary animated brands (most notably Tri Kota, which spans six seasons, two feature films, and 2,000+ minutes distributed in 140+ countries via HBO and Netflix).

CTC Media generates revenue through four streams: television advertising, sold exclusively through the in-house Everest sales house covering sponsorship and direct advertising on broadcast channels; digital advertising across the holding's internet platforms including ctc.ru and Wink; licensing and merchandising of its animation and TV brand portfolio to over 80 licensees producing 3,000+ retail SKUs; and content production and distribution, including original series, reality formats, and animated properties. The go-to-market combines a sales-led advertising motion through Everest with a channel partner motion for licensing and merchandising, with a customized 360° brand approach by audience segment. The company is privately held, formerly NASDAQ-listed as CTCM, and is part of the National Media Group conglomerate alongside the Wink OTT video service. Headquartered in Moscow, CTC Media employs between 1,001 and 5,000 staff.

Name

CTC MEDIA

Legal name

CTC MEDIA (СТС Медиа)

Website

https://ctc.media

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

CTC Media is a Russian television holding company, subsidiary of National Media Group, operating five entertainment channels (CTC, Domashniy, CHE!, CTC Love, CTC Kids) plus the Wink streaming service, monetized through advertising sales, content licensing to 80+ partners, and international distribution of animated brands like Tri Kota.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Television Broadcasting and Content Production

NAICS

Television Broadcasting Stations (51612), Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (516210)

SIC

Television Broadcasting Stations (4833), Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)

akta.pro primary industry

National General-Entertainment Broadcast Networks (MPABAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

General Entertainment SVOD Platforms (MPACAAAA), Kids’ General Entertainment Channels (Ages 6–11) (MPABAKAB)

Keywords

• Television broadcasting
• Original content production
• Media advertising sales
• Content licensing services
• Children's television content

Headquarters

HQ city

Moscow

HQ country

Russia

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Television Advertising: Advertising sales through sales house 'Эверест' for sponsorship and direct advertising on broadcast TV channels
2. Digital Advertising: Digital inventory sales on the holding's internet platforms including ctc.ru and other digital assets
3. Licensing and Merchandising: Licensing of animation brands, TV series, and shows to third-party manufacturers across various product categories. Over 80 licensees and 3000+ SKUs in retail.
4. Content Production and Distribution: Production of original TV content including series, shows, and animation. Archive of 3271 hours of premier releases including 8 successful reality franchises.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

CTC Media operates five Russian entertainment television channels serving family, women's, reality-investigation, nostalgia, and children's audiences. It produces and distributes original television and animated content, reaches viewers through the Wink online video service, and monetizes its audience and intellectual property through advertising, sponsorship, content licensing, and merchandise licensing.

Product overview

CTC MEDIA is a Russian media holding company operating five entertainment television channels — CTC, Domashniy, CHE!, CTC Love, and CTC Kids — alongside digital assets including the ctc.ru website and the online video service Wink. The holding also manages an extensive licensing portfolio of animated brands (notably 'Tri Kota', 'Hotel u Ovechek', 'Tsarevny', 'Lex and Plu. Space Taxi Drivers') and television series ('Molodezhka. Novaya smena', 'Plaksa', 'Papiny dochki. Novye'), as well as reality and entertainment shows ('Supernindzya', 'Prosto kukhnya', 'Ural'skiye pel'meni'). The portfolio spans family, women's, reality-investigation, nostalgia, and children's content segments. The company is part of the National Media Group.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CTC (СТС) Flagship family-oriented television channel for viewers aged 10–45, featuring comedy series, dramedies, family and quiz shows, sports, Russian and international films, cooking, makeovers, and animation.
• Domashniy (Домашний) Women's television channel producing 90% of its airtime in-house and offering original melodramas, Turkish series, court shows, docudramas, mystical programs, and socially oriented projects.
• CHE! (ЧЕ!) Television channel for adults aged 25–49 specializing in reality-investigation formats alongside entertainment, viral-video, and comedy programs.
• CTC Love (СТС Love) Nostalgia and entertainment channel featuring classic CTC hits and original productions for viewers seeking familiar and comfort-oriented content.
• CTC Kids Children's television channel offering animated programming designed to combine entertainment, learning, and physical activity for young viewers and their parents.
• Wink (Винк) Online video service managed by CTC Media that provides streaming access to the holding's television content and programming.
• CTC Media Licensing and Merchandising Services Brand licensing and merchandising service offering animation, television, and entertainment properties to manufacturers and retail partners with a customized brand approach.
• Three Cats (Три кота) Flagship animated brand comprising six seasons, two feature films, and more than 2,000 minutes of content; CTC Media holds the rights and licenses the brand internationally.
• Hotel u Ovechek (Отель у Овечек) Animated series brand available for licensing from CTC Media's content portfolio.
• Tsarevny (Царевны) Animated series brand produced jointly with STV Film Company and available for licensing from CTC Media.
• Lex and Plu. Space Taxi Drivers (Лекс и Плу. Космические таксисты) Animated series brand available for licensing from CTC Media's content portfolio.
• Molodezhka. Novaya smena (Молодежка. Новая смена) Television drama series in CTC Media's original programming portfolio and available for licensing.
• Prosto Kitchen (Просто кухня) Cooking show hosted by chef Alexander Belkovich and available for licensing from CTC Media's portfolio.
• Uralskiye pelmeni (Уральские пельмени) Entertainment show brand available for licensing from CTC Media's content portfolio.
• Whiskered Facts (Усатые факты) New television quiz show featuring celebrity couples competing to identify true versus false facts.
• Fort. Return of the Legend (Форт. Возвращение легенды) New game show in which 52 celebrities compete in physical and mental challenges.

Quantifiable outcome

• Top 1 position in target audience (10-45 years) for many years
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles8 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• National Media Group (НМГ)flagshipOthersParent company of CTC Media. One of the largest media holdings in Russia, managing five entertainment TV channels and Wink online video service.
• START Online CinemacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCTC and START online cinema began filming the third season of 'Инспектора Гаврилова'. START is a major online cinema partner for co-production.
• Art Pictures VisioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBegan filming continuation of 'Молодежка. Новая смена' series. Key production partner for major drama series.
• Art Pictures StudiocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-producer of 'Сто лет тому вперед' - the film that won ТЭФИ-Kids 2025 award for Best Full-length Film for Children and Family.
• Эверест (Everest) Sales HouseflagshipChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorExclusive sales house that sells sponsorship advertising on broadcast TV channels, conducts pre-sale of direct advertising, and implements digital inventory on the holding's internet platforms.
• Wink (Video Service)coreTechnology or IntegrationOnline video service owned by National Media Group, carrying CTC Media content for digital streaming.
• STV Film Company (Кинокомпания СТВ)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint production partner for 'Царевны' animation series. CTC Media holds rights to this brand for licensing.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• ITV plc: UK-based general-entertainment broadcaster with ITV Studios (production). Comparable as a multi-channel entertainment broadcaster with significant original content production and international distribution operations.
• TF1 Group: France's leading free-to-air commercial broadcaster operating TF1 and a portfolio of themed channels plus digital platforms. Comparable as a European general-entertainment broadcasting holding.
• National Media Group (NMG): Parent company of CTC Media and operator of Wink streaming service. While not a direct competitor, NMG's broader portfolio creates shared infrastructure and competitive positioning in the Russian media market.

Direct peers

• Gazprom-Media (TNT, NTV): Russia's largest private media holding operating competing entertainment channels including TNT (general entertainment) and NTV. Directly comparable as a multi-channel Russian broadcast holding competing for the same advertisers and audiences.
• Channel One Russia: Russia's flagship general-interest TV channel with significant original content production. Comparable as a Russian broadcast network competing for the same advertising spend and household viewership.
• REN TV: Russian entertainment and information TV channel competing directly with CTC and Domashniy for family and women demographics in the Russian ad market.
• TV-3 (THT): Russian entertainment channel with a focus on fantasy, mystery, and scripted series. Comparable as a Russian niche-entertainment broadcaster competing for the same advertiser pool.
• VGTRK (Russia-1, Russia-Culture, etc.): State-owned Russian broadcasting holding operating Russia-1 and a portfolio of national TV channels. Directly comparable as a multi-channel Russian broadcaster competing for general entertainment and family audiences.

Emerging players

• Warner Bros. Discovery Kids: Global children's content portfolio including Cartoon Network. Comparable to CTC Kids specifically as a children's entertainment channel operator with animated brand licensing.
• START (online cinema): Major Russian online streaming service and CTC Media co-production partner (Inspector Gavrilov). Comparable as a Russian OTT platform with original scripted content competing for streaming audiences.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/CTCMedia
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ctc-media-inc.

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about CTC MEDIA