TV RAIN | Телеканал Дождь

What TV RAIN | Телеканал Дождь does

TV Rain (Телеканал Дождь) is an independent Russian-language television channel and internet platform that produces and distributes news, analysis, interviews, and documentary programming to Russian-speaking audiences in Russia and globally. The company was founded in 2010 and originally operated in Russia; in 2022, after the suspension of its Russian broadcasting license, it reincorporated in the Netherlands as TVR Studios B.V., headquartered in Amsterdam, and obtained a broadcaster license from the Netherlands Media Authority (Commissariaat voor de Media) on December 20, 2022. The operation is editorially led by Editor-in-Chief Tikhon Dzyadko (Тихон Дзядко), with a stated headcount of 68 employees.

The core product is a 24/7 live television broadcast paired with a multi-platform streaming presence: a website (tvrain.tv), mobile applications for iOS, Android, and Huawei AppGallery, smart TV apps, and a Telegram channel. Content library includes original programs such as "Здесь и сейчас" (Here and Now), "Настроение на Дожде", "И так далее", "Нюансы", "Экономика с Надеждой Метальниковой", "НЕмой рок-н-ролл", and "Нобель". The company is GDPR-compliant under the supervision of the Dutch Data Protection Authority.

TV Rain operates a hybrid revenue model built around viewer support: recurring monthly donations and one-time contributions processed through Stripe and PayPal form the primary revenue stream, supplemented by a publicly priced advertising placement service (EUR 250 per ad placement on TV broadcasts and the Telegram channel) and licensed broadcasting operations. Distribution is global with a geographic restriction in Russia. The customer segments are horizontal: Russian-speaking diaspora audiences worldwide and Russian-speaking audiences inside Russia who seek alternative, independent news coverage. Customer relationships are direct-to-consumer and distributed across long-tail viewers/donors, with no named enterprise anchors and no disclosed B2B contracts.

Name

TV RAIN | Телеканал Дождь

Legal name

TVR Studios B.V.

Website

https://tvrain.tv

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

TV Rain (Телеканал Дождь) is an independent Russian-language television channel and internet platform serving Russian-speaking audiences worldwide. Operating from Amsterdam as TVR Studios B.V., it delivers live news, analysis, and original programming funded primarily by viewer donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Independent Broadcasting

NAICS

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

SIC

Television Broadcasting Stations (4833)

akta.pro primary industry

International TV Broadcasters (Free-to-Air/Satellite/Cable) (MPABAEAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Media Digital Platforms & Streaming (Apps, On-demand, Podcasts) (MPABADAG), International Broadcast Networks (Operating Domestic Feeds) (MPABAAAN)

Keywords

• Independent television broadcasting
• Russian-language news media
• Live streaming services
• Digital broadcast journalism
• Donation-supported media

Headquarters

HQ city

Amsterdam

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Viewer Donations/Subscriptions: Recurring monthly donations from viewers via credit/debit cards, Apple Pay, and Google Pay through the TV Rain website. The channel operates on a donation-supported model where viewers contribute to fund independent journalism.
2. Advertising: Display advertising on TV broadcasts (after news segments) and Telegram channel posts. Ad placements include text with hyperlinks, logos, and QR codes.
3. Broadcast Licensing: Licensed broadcasting operations regulated by the Netherlands Media Authority (Commissariaat voor de Media), with the broadcaster entity being TVR Studios B.V.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

TV Rain is an independent Russian-language television channel and internet platform that delivers 24/7 live broadcasting and on-demand streaming of news, political and economic analysis, interviews, and documentary programming. It distributes this content globally via its website (tvrain.tv), native mobile apps for iOS/Android/Huawei, smart TV apps, a licensed Dutch TV broadcast, and social channels including Telegram and YouTube. The channel is funded primarily through recurring viewer donations and supplemented by advertising placements and broadcast licensing.

Product overview

TV Rain (Телеканал Дождь) is an international Russian-language independent television channel and internet platform operated by TVR Studios B.V. (registered in the Netherlands). Its core offering is live television broadcasting and real-time internet streaming of independent journalism, providing Russian-speaking audiences worldwide with news, analysis, interviews, and documentary programs. The platform operates as a portfolio of integrated offerings: the primary live TV broadcast and website streaming (core product), supported by original programming (catalog of TV shows including 'Здесь и сейчас', 'И так далее', 'Нюансы', 'Экономика с Надеждой Метальниковой', 'Drama Queens', and others), mobile applications for iOS, Android, and Huawei devices, a news portal, a viewer-supported donation system (accepting Stripe and PayPal), and a B2B advertising placement service. The company's revenue model combines viewer donations, advertising, and licensed content distribution.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• TV Rain Live Broadcast 24/7 live television broadcasting and real-time internet streaming of independent Russian-language news, political and economic analysis, interviews, and documentary programs, delivered via the tvrain.tv website, licensed Dutch TV broadcast, and mobile/TV apps to global Russian-speaking audiences.
• TV Rain Mobile Application

Quantifiable outcome

• Serving Russian-speaking audiences in Russia and worldwide with independent journalism

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration12 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• StripeminorOthersPayment processing service for handling viewer donations and subscription payments. Supports credit/debit card transactions for the donation-supported business model.
• PayPalminorOthersAlternative payment processing service for viewer donations, providing additional payment method options for the donation-supported model.
• Netherlands Media Authority (Commissariaat voor de Media)coreOthersRegulatory body that issued TV Rain's broadcasting license on December 20, 2022, enabling legal broadcast operations from the Netherlands.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Meduza: Independent Russian-language news outlet operating from Riga, Latvia, serving Russian-speaking audiences globally with text, video, and live programming. Competes directly with TV Rain for the same diaspora donor and reader base and runs a similar donation-supported model.
• The Moscow Times: English- and Russian-language independent news outlet covering Russia, reincorporated in the Netherlands. Competes for overlapping diaspora audiences and donor support, with similar European-jurisdiction legal footing to TV Rain.
• Current Time (RFE/RL): Russian-language TV and digital network operated by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. Directly comparable as a multi-platform Russian-language broadcaster targeting audiences inside and outside Russia, with substantially larger institutional backing.
• Novaya Gazeta Europe: Russian-language independent media outlet re-established in Europe after the suspension of its Russian operations. Targets the same diaspora audience with investigative reporting and long-form journalism funded largely by donations.

Emerging players

• Ost.Media: Russia-focused independent media project operating from Europe and producing Russian-language content across YouTube and social platforms. An emerging player targeting overlapping diaspora and Russia-focused audiences with a comparable donation/sponsorship model.
• Holod Media: Independent Russian-language YouTube channel producing political analysis and interviews for Russian-speaking audiences in exile. Competes in the same long-form video niche on social platforms where TV Rain also distributes.
• Mediazona: Independent Russian-language outlet focused on coverage of the Russian justice system and political repression. Targets the same Russian-speaking independent-media audience with niche but adjacent editorial coverage.

Broad incumbents

• Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty (RFE/RL): U.S.-funded international broadcaster producing multi-language news including Russian. Operates as a much larger, established incumbent whose Russian-language programming (including Current Time) competes for the same audience TV Rain serves.
• BBC News Russian: BBC's Russian-language service providing news and analysis across web, video, and social. Competes for the same diaspora attention set as a much larger, publicly funded incumbent offering overlapping independent journalism.
• Deutsche Welle (DW) Russian: Deutsche Welle's Russian-language multimedia service offering news, video, and analysis to Russian-speaking audiences globally. A state-backed European incumbent whose Russian-language digital offering competes for the same audience TV Rain targets.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/tvrain
• YouTubeyoutube.com/tvrain
• Facebookfacebook.com/tvrain
• Instagraminstagram.com/tvrain
• TikToktiktok.com/@tvrain
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tvrain

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about TV RAIN | Телеканал Дождь