Gazprom Media is the largest Russian media conglomerate, with ownership of nearly 20 television and radio channels, digital platforms, and select print publications.
Media assets
Television: NTV (НТВ), Match TV (Матч ТВ), TNT (ТНТ), TV-3 (ТВ-3), Friday! (Пятница!), NTV Style (НТВ-Стиль), NTV Law (НТВ-Право), NTV Series (НТВ-Сериал), NTV HIT (НТВ-Хит), Match Premier (Матч! Премьер), Match! Arena (Матч! Арена), Match! Game (Матч! Игра), Match! Planet (Матч! Планета), Match! Football 1 (Матч! Футбол 1), Match! Football 2, Match! Football 3, KHL TV, KHL TV HD, Match! Fight (Матч! Боец), Horse World (Конный мир), Match! Country (Матч! Страна), Saturday! (Суббота!), TNT4 (ТНТ4), 2×2, Kinohit, Kinokomediya, Kinomix, Kinopremiera, Kinosemya, Kinoseriya, Kinosvidaniye, Muzhskoe Kino, Nashe Novoe Kino, Indijskoe Kino, Rodnoe Kino, Kinouzhas, India, Kitchen TV, 365 Days TV, HDL, La Minor TV, Russian Night
Radio: Radio Energy, Autoradio, Humor FM (Юмор FM), Comedy Radio, Children’s Radio (Детское радио), Like FM, Radio Romantika, Relax FM, Radio Zenit
Publishing: Seven Days, Story Caravan
News portal: Rutube, Yappy, PREMIER, 101.ru, NTV-Plus, Match Premier
State Media Matrix Typology: Captured Public/State-Managed (CaPu)
Ownership and governance
A complex ownership structure involving numerous companies gives the Russian state indirect control of Gazprom Media. Gazprom Media is officially owned by Gazprombank, a company that is part of the state-owned Gazprom.
The largest shareholder in Gazprombank is Gazfond, a company majority controlled by Lider, a management company controlled by Sogaz Insurance Group. The latter is in turn majority owned by Rossiya Bank, which is close to President Vladimir Putin.
Source of funding and budget
Gazprom Media’s financial model is based on advertising revenues and subscriptions for thematic and pay-TV channels. In 2020, Gazprom Media generated total revenues of RUB 99.2bn (equivalent to US$ 1.38bn). In the first three quarters of 2021, the company generated revenues of RUB 84.2bn, with advertising sales accounting for over 72% of that amount, according to media reports.
A report from the Media and Journalism Research Center revealed significantly different figures in the Excheck.pro database. According to the aforementioned source, Gazprom Media reported revenue of RUB 383m in 2021.
Editorial independence
Gazprom Media-controlled media outlets maintain close ties with the Russian state administration. The news coverage provided by these outlets is, in effect, propaganda serving the interests of the Kremlin. The company’s flagship channel, NTV, has a reputation for launching systematic attacks on EU diplomats and civil society groups, and for adhering closely to the Kremlin’s viewpoint. Some reports have described NTV as “Russia’s most aggressive channel of disinformation.”
It has not been possible to identify any internal statute or independent mechanism for the assessment or oversight of the editorial independence of Gazprom Media’s outlets.
September 2024