MOSCOW, Dec. 16, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- On December 12, CTC channel aired the final episode of its key fall season premiere - Molodezhka (Youth Hockey League) series. The episode was watched by 23% of the Russian viewers in the 10-45 demographic. The average target audience share of the overall series (aired from October 7 through December 12) reached 16.2%, making CTC the most watched broadcaster in Russia in late night prime time. The target audience share of the channel's 9pm slot was up 26% due to Molodezhka.
According to TNS Gallup Media, Molodezhka was in TOP 4 most popular Russian television series among the viewers over 18 years of age.
The series accounts for approximately 600,000 online video views daily on the CTC Media digital platforms, including ctc.ru, videomore.ru and Molodezhka mobile app. Almost half of the ctc.ru users in November specifically came to the website for the Molodezhka content (15 million page views). Mobile app of the show attracts over 50,000 views per day and has over 200,000 installs, while Molodezhka group in the Russian social network VK.com has over 700,000 users.
Viacheslav Murugov, Chief Content Officer of CTC Media, Head of CTC Channel: "Molodezhka is a hallmark project for CTC Media. The show became one of the most popular series produced in Russia in the past few years – its final episode was watched by every fourth viewer in the country. Molodezhka is a doubtless proof that we can produce hits which unite the whole family in front of a TV screen.
"Due to Molodezhka we managed to monetize our unique entertainment content not just on television but also through other platforms – we have published a book together with Eksmo publishing house, started our promising licensing/merchandising partnership with Printdirect.ru and have achieved a great success in digital. At least 25% of the users that downloaded the Molodezhka app to their smartphones interacted with it every day.
"Molodezhka managed to spread interest and passion for hockey and sports in general among thousands of young people throughout the whole Russia. We are glad that the viewers have appreciated Molodezhka, which has become our most successful project in 2013."
About CTC Media, Inc.
CTC Media is a leading Russian independent media company, with operations throughout Russia and elsewhere in the CIS. It operates three free-to-air television networks in Russia – CTC, Domashny and PERETZ – as well as Channel 31 in Kazakhstan with a combined potential audience of over 150 million people. The international pay-TV version of the CTC channel is available in North America, Europe, Central Asia, Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan, the Middle East and Kyrgyzstan. PERETZ is also available in Belarus. CTC Media has a number of digital entertainment media assets: videomore.ru, domashniy.ru, ctc.ru, peretz.ru. The Company's common stock is traded on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol "CTCM." For more information on CTC Media, please visit www.ctcmedia.ru.