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RUTUBE is a
Russian Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including: *Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and peo ...
video platform An online video platform (OVP), provided by a video hosting service, enables users to upload, convert, store and play back video content on the Internet, often via a structured, large-scale system that may generate revenue. Users will generally u ...
. It includes a library of licensed content including movies, series,
cartoons A cartoon is a type of visual art that is typically drawn, frequently animated, in an unrealistic or semi-realistic style. The specific meaning has evolved over time, but the modern usage usually refers to either: an image or series of images ...
, shows, and live broadcasts. It also hosts
blogs A blog (a truncation of "weblog") is a discussion or informational website published on the World Wide Web consisting of discrete, often informal diary-style text entries (posts). Posts are typically displayed in reverse chronological order ...
, podcasts, game streams, and
educational Education is a purposeful activity directed at achieving certain aims, such as transmitting knowledge or fostering skills and character traits. These aims may include the development of understanding, rationality, kindness, and honesty. Vari ...
content. RUTUBE has web,
iOS iOS (formerly iPhone OS) is a mobile operating system created and developed by Apple Inc. exclusively for its hardware. It is the operating system that powers many of the company's mobile devices, including the iPhone; the term also include ...
, Android and
Smart TV A smart TV, also known as a connected TV (CTV), is a traditional television set with integrated Internet and interactive Web 2.0 features, which allows users to stream music and videos, browse the internet, and view photos. Smart TVs are a techno ...
versions. Its audience increased from 7,7 millions in January 2022 to over 50 millions in March 2022.


Service model

RUTUBE offers free access to content and profits on advertisement videos. All downloaded content is checked by moderators to block anything that is pornographic, insulting,
spam Spam may refer to: * Spam (food), a canned pork meat product * Spamming, unsolicited or undesired electronic messages ** Email spam, unsolicited, undesired, or illegal email messages ** Messaging spam, spam targeting users of instant messaging ( ...
, advocates drug use or violence, or is otherwise abusive and in violation of established rules. The platform uses Content ID for
copyright A copyright is a type of intellectual property that gives its owner the exclusive right to copy, distribute, adapt, display, and perform a creative work, usually for a limited time. The creative work may be in a literary, artistic, education ...
protection. Since 2007, the service has supported built-in media players and creation of whole-scale sections on third-party websites via an
API An application programming interface (API) is a way for two or more computer programs to communicate with each other. It is a type of software interface, offering a service to other pieces of software. A document or standard that describes how ...
. To ensure the posting of legal content, the platform uses a widget which enables navigation by release, season, and episode for TV shows and series. As part of an affiliate program, RUTUBE shares income from advertisements with the owners of resources who host the player.


History


Incorporation of the service and search for investors, 2006–2007

RUTUBE was launched by Oleg Volobuyev and Mikhail Paulkin—entrepreneurs from
Oryol Oryol ( rus, Орёл, p=ɐˈrʲɵl, lit. ''eagle''), also transliterated as Orel or Oriol, is a city and the administrative center of Oryol Oblast situated on the Oka River, approximately south-southwest of Moscow. It is part of the Central Fed ...
and co-owners of a popular multiplayer browser online game based on Dozory, a franchise of novels and short stories by Sergey Lukiyanenko. In an interview with the Business Journal and the
iTV channel ITV Channel Television, previously Channel Television, is a British television station which has served as the ITV (TV network), ITV contractor for the Channel Islands since 1962. It is based in Jersey and broadcasts regional programme for i ...
, the founders said that they had been working on the video service since 2004–2005. Mr. Volobuyev said that the I-vision.ru service, which they had developed, was an ActiveX-based browser plugin supporting p2p video chats and streams and could capture videos from devices connected to a (personal computer) PC and process those on the client side. He said that
ActiveX ActiveX is a deprecated software framework created by Microsoft that adapts its earlier Component Object Model (COM) and Object Linking and Embedding (OLE) technologies for content downloaded from a network, particularly from the World Wide Web. ...
control elements created a risk of
malware Malware (a portmanteau for ''malicious software'') is any software intentionally designed to cause disruption to a computer, server, client, or computer network, leak private information, gain unauthorized access to information or systems, depri ...
infiltration, so the team had to switch to
Flash Video Flash Video is a container file format used to deliver digital video content (e.g., TV shows, movies, etc.) over the Internet using Adobe Flash Player version 6 and newer. Flash Video content may also be embedded within SWF files. There ar ...
. By the time, YouTube, a US video hosting service, had gained popularity, and the Russian developers characterized their service as Russian YouTube. RUTUBE received the status of a video hosting service in 2006. In 2007, the founders employed Askar Tuganbayev as the producer of RUTUBE; previously, he had managed ATB Internet projects and worked as a producer at
O2TV O2TV (stylized as O!2) is a Russian independent TV channel, the target audience of which are young people between 16 and 35, who, as the 2006 presentation reads, would constitute an influential portion of the electorate in the Russian legislative ...
and Gameland TV. While staying in
Moscow Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...
, Tuganbayev built relationships with partners and looked for an investor for the company. RUTUBE attracted some private investors, Mangrove Capital Partners Venture Fund and Gazprom Media Group, which was entering the Internet market. Negotiation with Gazprom-Media started in summer of 2007, and legal arrangements lasted from March 2008 through November 2008. Speculations on the deal's size stirred up public interest. The Kommersant claimed that the 100 percent capital of the company ranged from $5 mln to $15 mln; in an interview with the
Vedomosti ''Vedomosti'' ( rus, Ведомости, p=ˈvʲedəməsʲtʲɪ, ) is a Russian language, Russian-language business journalism, business daily newspaper published in Moscow. History ''Vedomosti'' was founded in 1999 as a joint venture between ...
, Dmitry Grishin, German Klimenko, and Viktor Lavrenko suggested $5 mln to $10 mln, $3 mln to $5 mln, and $1 mln respectively. In summer 2008, the
Kommersant ''Kommersant'' (russian: Коммерсантъ, , ''The Businessman'' or Commerce Man, often shortened to Ъ) is a nationally distributed daily newspaper published in Russia mostly devoted to politics and business. The TNS Media and NRS Russia ...
stated that the RUTUBE control stake had been acquired at $15 mln in total, and that the founders had received motivation payments.


Ownership by Gazprom Media 2008–2012

At the stage of arrangements, Tuganbayev had to leave the company due to the expiry of his annual contract. The end of the deal was marked with a major staff reshuffle. Developers and systemic administrators were moved to a separate company, and the holding passed technical development and video hosting support over to it. RUTUBE hired media managers, set up a commercial service, designers, and editors, whose responsibility was choosing topics for materials. Former head of the department of management of TNT-owned channels—Mikhail Ilyochov—took up the position of Chief Executive Officer. Vladimir Barabanov, former corporate director of the Hurst Shkulyov Media Publishing House, was appointed as Chief Development Officer. The changes fitted with RUTUBE's new development strategy of a socially-oriented platform. In October 2010, the RUTUBE player was integrated into
VKontakte VK (short for its original name ''VKontakte''; russian: ВКонтакте, meaning ''InContact'') is a Russian online social media and social networking service based in Saint Petersburg. VK is available in multiple languages but it is predomin ...
. In April next year, a section was added to Odnoklassniki with the video platform's content, and ad campaigns were launched in September. Also, in September 2011, paid video content was added—live Russian Football League streams maintained in cooperation with NTV-Plus, a satellite TV provider. In October, the user stream service, which had worked since the launch of the platform, stopped working. In March 2011, under the supervision of the RUTUBE managerial staff, the Now.ru online movie theater was launched in the service's technical base, whose library included licensed content provided by
Sony , commonly stylized as SONY, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. As a major technology company, it operates as one of the world's largest manufacturers of consumer and professional ...
Pictures, The
Walt Disney Walter Elias Disney (; December 5, 1901December 15, 1966) was an American animator, film producer and entrepreneur. A pioneer of the American animation industry, he introduced several developments in the production of cartoons. As a film p ...
Company,
Warner Bros Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Di ...
.,
Playboy ''Playboy'' is an American men's lifestyle and entertainment magazine, formerly in print and currently online. It was founded in Chicago in 1953, by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. K ...
,
Lionsgate Lions Gate Entertainment Corporation, doing business as Lionsgate, is a Canadian-American entertainment company. It was formed by Frank Giustra on July 10, 1997, domiciled in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada and is currently headquartered ...
,
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
,
MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
and
Nickelodeon Nickelodeon (often shortened to Nick) is an American pay television television channel, channel which launched on April 1, 1979, as the first cable channel for children. It is run by Paramount Global through its List of assets owned by Param ...
. In spring 2011, a dedication ceremony on the platform's servers was held by a Russian Orthodox priest, Father Victor, upon the request of Yury Degtyaryov, General Producer of RUTUBE, captured the attention of mass media. It was reported that the service was going to get blessings from the Council of Muftis and the Chief Rabbi of Russia.


Redesign and development, 2012–2015

In summer 2012, Gazprom Media changed the service's management. At the same time, changes were made to the design, development strategy, and marketing strategy. In the new version, RUTUBE formed a personified home page based on the social graph of a Facebook (and later VKontakte) profile while offering videos posted on RUTUBE and social media and published on other platforms—
YouTube YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...
and
Vimeo Vimeo, Inc. () is an American video hosting, sharing, and services platform provider headquartered in New York City. Vimeo focuses on the delivery of high-definition video across a range of devices. Vimeo's business model is through software as ...
. Maxim Ilyichov was replaced by Now.ru Technical Manager Elena Sakharova, who had managed development of Gazprom Media IT broadcast platforms. The service's content management policy shifted from user materials toward editor-managed professional content. In August, RUTUBE demonstrated French movies, short movies, and advertisement videos, which had received Cannes Lions awards. In 2014, the company planned to change its stockholder structure as part of a deal between Rostelekom and
Gazprom Media Gazprom-Media (russian: ОАО Газпром-Медиа) is the largest Russian media holding. Gazprom-Media was established in January 1998 as a subsidiary of the 1997 established Gazprom Media Holdings. On its founding in 1997, Gazprom Media ...
. It was expected that RUTUBE would merge with Zoomby.ru, a platform specializing in TV content and movie-oriented Now.ru, under a single brand. The deal was approved by the Federal Antimonopoly Service, but it was canceled after the Gazprom Media reshuffle. In February 2015, RUTUBE partnered with Sputnik.Deti, a search engine for children, when it presented videos from the secure children's section in search results. In June, the content appeared in a separate section of V Metro, as part of RUTUBE's cooperation with the MaximaTelecom Wi-Fi network of the Moscow Metro. In July, former CEO of Groupon in Russia and
Ukraine Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...
—Vadim Fedotov—became CEO of RUTUBE and took control of Gazprom Media assets. In October, RUTUBE content appeared on the updated Kinopoisk service.


Merger with Pladform, 2016–2019

In February 2016, it was announced that RUTUBE was merging with Pladform (Runet's largest legal content distributor), via which videos are posted on Russian online platforms, including VKontakte. In May that year, the merger procedure was completed. Gazprom Media passed over to the new company—Ruform—the RUTUBE brand and the rutube.ru website, while reserving the CDN network and ZAO Rutube
transcoding Transcoding is the direct digital-to-digital conversion of one encoding to another, such as for video data files, audio files (e.g., MP3, WAV), or character encoding (e.g., UTF-8, ISO/IEC 8859). This is usually done in cases where a target devic ...
resources. In the new group, Gazprom Media holds a 33.3% stock, and the rest of it belongs to previous Pladform stockholders—Armen Gulinyan, Ivan Tavrin, and Innova. Armen Gulinyan, founder and CEO of Pladform, took the position of CEO at Ruform, and head of a digital subholding at Gazprom Media—Vadim Fedotov—became chairman of the board of directors. In January 2019, Ivan Tavrin and his partners sold 67% of the OOO Ruform Stock to Alexander Karmanov—the main owner of Eurasian Pipeline Consortium. Roman Maximov was appointed as CEO.


Operating as part of LIST, 2019–2020

Since late 2019, RUTUBE worked as part of the LIST platform, which provided free access to content on the condition that a user watched ads and answered two questions: one concerning promo content and the other—the audience's interests, to investigate users' needs. The system relied on free access to the content at the cost of having to watch ads carefully and to the end. All videos hosted by the service would be available after a free sign-up via phone number. The service would host Movies and Series rather than UGC. All projects by Premier, TNT, Pyatnitsa!, and other major Russian TV channels were available for free. The "closed" approach resulted in the deletion of the RUTUBE player from major platforms like VKontakte and Odnoklassniki.


Merger with Gazprom Media, 2020–present

In late 2020, news emerged that Gazprom Media planned to purchase RUTUBE's controlling stock and to monopolize ownership of the video-hosting platform. On December 28, 2020, the information proved correct: Gazprom Media became the sole owner of OOO Ruform (a company which includes RUTUBE and Pladform) and was planning to carry on with the team. The size of the deal became public. In late December 2020, RUTUBE canceled mandatory sign-up for those planning to confine their activities to watching videos. Users wanting to comment or to post their own videos would need to sign up via email, not via phone number. Also, RUTUBE switched back to the classic monetization model - relying on free video-streaming with mandatory ad-viewing. The polling system was canceled. In April, RUTUBE was relaunched. The changes influenced the web version: which featured a completely new interface, intuitive navigation, a new color-palette, and new content-management tools. The site added new sections: "Podcasts", "Tuition", and "Goods". Also, new monetization tools appeared: donations, subscriptions, and live online-sales. In August 2021, Alexey Nazarov, former
ER-Telecom ER-Telecom is a Russian telecommunication holding company. It was the first federal telecommunication company, whose evaluation impulse has been received out of the region. The company is specialised on rendering a wide range of services for indiv ...
top-manager, replaced Roman Maximov as the new CEO of Rutube. Nazarov's main tasks include further upgrade, and increasing users and traffic, as well as strategic and operational
management Management (or managing) is the administration of an organization, whether it is a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government body. It is the art and science of managing resources of the business. Management includes the activities o ...
. A large-scale
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forced the video platform offline, hours before the scheduled streaming of the Moscow 9 May Victory Day parade. It turned out that the platform security audit was outsourced to Ukrainian company, which used a purposely left backdoor to wipe most of its content and install Ukrainian propaganda. In July 2022 the two Russian pranksters,
Vovan and Lexus Vovan and Lexus are Russian comedians Vladimir Kuznetsov or Krasnov (nickname: Vovan222) and Aleksei Stolyarov; they are noted for their prank telephone calls to prominent individuals. The duo often prank those who are critical of the Russia ...
, arranged fake interviews, luring a number of European politicians to speak with their impersonation of the Kyiv mayor
Vitali Klitschko Vitali Volodymyrovych Klitschko (; uk, Віта́лій Володи́мирович Кличко́ ; born 19 July 1971) is a Ukrainian politician and former professional boxer who serves as mayor of Kyiv Zoom, they used old videos of Klitschko to speak with Berlin mayor
Franziska Giffey Franziska Giffey (, Süllke, born 3 May 1978) is a German politician of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) who has been serving as Governing Mayor of Berlin since December 2021, the first woman elected to this position. She previously served as ...
, EU-commissioner
Ylva Johansson Ylva Julia Margareta Johansson (born 13 February 1964) is a Swedish politician who has been serving as European Commissioner for Home Affairs since 2019. She previously served in the government of Sweden as Minister for Schools from 1994 to 1998 ...
and other politicians. The pranksters claimed in an interview with the German RBB that Rutube financed them.


See also

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Comparison of video services The following tables compare general and technical information for a number of current, notable video hosting services. Please see the individual products' articles for further information. General information Basic general information about t ...
*
YouTube YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...


References


External links


Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:RUTUBE Internet properties established in 2006 Russian entertainment websites Transactional video on demand Video game streaming services Video hosting