Rutube to start selling movie tickets directly on its platform

Rutube has announced it will soon begin selling movie tickets directly on its platform. Users will be able to purchase tickets without leaving the site, while film distributors can tap into Rutube’s massive audience for promotion and special events. The company plans to link movie releases to “events” on the platform and integrate direct ticket sales into film pages-a move revealed by David Kocharov, Rutube’s and the online cinema Premier’s general producer.

When will Rutube start selling tickets?

No exact launch date has been given; the feature is said to arrive “soon.” Rutube already boasts a monthly audience of over 85 million users, setting the stage for a rapid rollout. Alongside ticket sales, the platform will create themed events around premieres. The announcement referenced recent successful box office runs that Rutube supported with promotional campaigns, including “Prostokvashino” (2.4 billion rubles) and “The Tale of Tsar Saltan” (over 730 million rubles in its first week).

Soon, we will also launch direct movie ticket sales through Rutube, so viewers can buy tickets right on the platform.

David Kocharov, general producer of Rutube and Premier

This isn’t a unique idea-international platforms have already integrated ticket sales for concerts and events-and for Rutube, it’s a natural next step to monetize its traffic. The real benefit lies in convenience for viewers and the ability for distributors to target ads to users already interested in specific films. However, success hinges on technical integration with ticketing systems and deals with theater chains; otherwise, commission fees might go to promotional partners instead of Rutube.

The big question remains whether this will become a full-fledged alternative to ticket aggregators or just an upsell channel for existing players-and if Rutube can keep viewers engaged all the way from announcement to purchase.