World news
💸 Subscription Prices to Rise by 25%
In 2026, Russians’ spending on online services is expected to grow significantly: the average annual bill for 3–5 subscriptions will rise from 20–25 thousand rubles to 25–32 thousand.
Financial analyst Anna Nikolaeva explained that the new 22% VAT is only the tip of the iceberg.
Three real drivers behind rising costs:
- A maturing market. User growth has slowed, forcing services to increase revenue per existing customer (ARPU).
- Expensive production and infrastructure. Costs have surged for exclusive content, cloud infrastructure, and anti-piracy protection. A third of company revenue now goes toward licensing expenses.
- “Unbundling” of packages. The all-inclusive model is being replaced with tiered plans — separating basic and premium features such as family access, 4K quality, and AI-based functions.
The sharpest price hikes are expected from online cinemas and cloud storage services due to heavy spending on servers and content. Music streaming platforms will hold back as long as possible but will also have to adjust prices upward in response to rising royalty payments.
