🟥 Kion Content Cluster Competes for User Time and Wallets

Aleksey Ivanov, head of the cluster, summarized the results for the first quarter of 2025 and discussed the primary challenges facing the industry.

Key Figures and Trends:

• 3 billion hours – total content consumption across the cluster’s services in 2025.
• 3 million people – Daily Active Users (DAU) of the unified platform.
• 30% growth – increase in the number of users engaging with two or more ecosystem products simultaneously.

Expensive Content and the Battle for Lifetime Value

Aleksey Ivanov identified the skyrocketing cost of content production as a major market hurdle, noting a 20-30% increase over the past year. Meanwhile, the ability to pass these costs onto consumers through endless subscription price hikes remains limited.

In this environment, the primary KPI has shifted from simple acquisition—which can cost several hundred rubles per person—to audience retention. To ensure profitability, the services are launching cross-platform projects. For instance, the core audience for the digital book service Kion Stroki grew by 40% year-on-year, while the user lifetime for Kion Music increased by 17%.

Growth Opportunities and Regulatory Risks

The head of the cluster believes 2026 will be defined by a search for new formats, such as “micro-dramas.” Ivanov warned: “By 2027, old acquisition mechanisms will no longer be effective.”

Special attention is being paid to government relations. While regulatory risks remain a factor, Kion is prioritizing an ongoing dialogue with authorities. The company views the introduction of content “white lists” positively, suggesting they help maintain convenient user access to films and series in a familiar format.