👁 Interest in American TV Series Hits Record High in Russia
In April 2026, Russian viewers demonstrated a sharp resurgence of interest in U.S.-produced content. According to the "Kinopoisk Pro Index," the share of audience attention directed toward American projects increased 1.5 times year-on-year, reaching 34%.
This marks a record high since February 2022, when Hollywood’s share stood at 30%.
The Blockbuster Premiere Factor
Analysts attribute this surge to the release of new seasons of global franchises that carried immense pent-up demand. The primary growth drivers included:
- The Boys – the final season;
- Euphoria;
- Invincible.
Despite the challenges regarding official access to several Western platforms, the aggregate interest in series—measured by search queries on Yandex and Google, video service activity, and TV channel page traffic—rose by 29% in April compared to March.
Anime Loses Ground
A unique aspect of the April 2026 landscape is that American hits “cannibalized” the market share of Japanese animation rather than Russian content, as is usually the case.
Interest in anime dropped to an all-time low of 10%, down from 17% a year earlier. Only one Japanese series managed to break into the Top 20 most popular projects of the month: the third season of Jujutsu Kaisen.
Experts explain this through cyclicality: fans have finished the key seasons of major anime franchises and have pivoted toward the long-awaited Western premieres.
Russian Content: Betting on Nostalgia
Domestic projects maintained their leadership with a 36% market share. However, the success of the Russian segment in April was driven less by original streaming debuts and more by the continuation of legendary TV franchises:
- Univer: 15 Years Later;
- Molodezhka: New Shift;
- Daddy’s Daughters: New.
Among original developments from online platforms, only the detective drama Fingerprints (Kion) made it into the Top 20. Representatives from the platform noted that while interest in their in-house originals and thrillers (such as the new season of Black Sun) continues to grow, they have yet to observe a decline in anime viewership on their specific service.
A Temporary Surge?
Despite the current triumph of American releases, industry experts remain skeptical about the long-term dominance of Western content. “As soon as viewers finish the latest installments of The Boys and Euphoria, the U.S. share will likely begin to contract again in favor of Russian series, which are released with more stability and frequency,” suggested one surveyed producer. In his view, the balance of power could stabilize as early as the end of the first half of the year.
Source: Kommersant
