CTC Media to supply content to Hulu

Vyacheslav Murugov

Russian broadcaster CTC Media is to supply content to US on-demand service Hulu and Hulu Plus as part of a deal to supply Russian content to the platform struck by Russian content export body Roskino and digital video aggregator Digital Media Rights. 

Roskino – which replaced the USSR-era Sovexportfilm organisation – and CTC Media will provide a range of TV shows including sports drama Junior League, comedy drama Ranetki, mystery thriller The Day After and crime drama Lavrova’s Method on Hulu and Hulu Plus.

Roskino and Digital Media Rights are planning to expand the distribution of Russian content across the US by offering a wider range of feature titles and television series, and by adding new platforms.

“It is the first time in history that so many Russian titles are available to millions of viewers in the US. It represents an outstanding opportunity for Russian filmmakers and producers of TV-content to enter the US market,” said Roskino CEO Katya Mtsituridze.

“I am confident that diverse, high-quality content offered by CTC Media will be very popular on Hulu that already features some of our titles. It is most importantly a matter of our national prestige and worldwide promotion of our products, and given the right attention, this project may develop a very significant capitalisation.”

Vyacheslav Murugov, chief content officer of CTC Media and head of CTC Channel, said: “Maximizing the presence of CTC Media content in all media and on all platforms is a critical component of our strategy. We are excited to collaborate with Roskino to make our products available on the Hulu service. We deliver our content to U.S. audience over CTC International, and we know that it is popular and in demand. I am confident that Russian content will be equally exciting for a wider audience in the US.”