Start

Start is a subscription-based streaming service associated with the START digital media holding. The platform combines direct-to-consumer video distribution with the development, production, licensing, and international sale of original entertainment. Although its catalogue and production base are closely connected to Russia, the service has been marketed internationally and has attracted subscribers beyond the Commonwealth of Independent States. The service was established in 2017 by Eduard Iloyan, Vitaliy Shlyappo, Alexey Trotsyuk, and Denis Jalinskiy, producers known for their work through Yellow, Black and White. Start developed as both a consumer subscription platform and an outlet for premium scripted programming. Its original slate has included crime dramas, thrillers, comedies, science fiction, relationship dramas, and feature films. Notable series associated with the platform include Gold Diggers, Better Than Us, Storm, 257 Reasons to Live, A Good Man, Mediator, Container, Passengers, The Vampires of Midland, Offside, The Counted, Addicted, and Sherlock: The Russian Chronicles. Start's international profile was strengthened by the export of its productions. Better Than Us became the first Russian television production to receive a worldwide Netflix Original release and was dubbed into more than 20 languages. The series helped demonstrate that Start-originated content could travel beyond Russian-speaking audiences. Other productions were licensed to international distributors and platforms, including Gold Diggers and A Good Man. Some Start projects have also been offered as formats for local adaptation in other countries. The company expanded its ecosystem in 2021 by operating as part of a broader digital media holding. That structure includes Start Studio, which manages rights connected with original series, and All Media, a feature-film distribution company. The arrangement gives the group capabilities spanning commissioning, production, rights management, theatrical or film distribution, and streaming delivery rather than relying solely on subscription revenue. Start reported rapid growth in its early years. By August 2019, the service said it had subscribers in 174 countries, with approximately 40 percent located outside the CIS. In October 2020, it announced that it had passed one million paying subscribers. Industry reports cited by the reference material identified Start as one of the fastest-growing Russian streaming services over a two-year period and estimated its share of the Russian subscription-video-on-demand market at 6 percent. A founder also stated that cumulative investment had reached approximately 2.3–2.4 billion Russian rubles by the end of 2019; this figure is historical and should not be treated as a current valuation or financial statement. The platform's positioning has therefore rested on a combination of exclusive or first-window originals, a recognizable Russian production identity, and international licensing. Start is not only a streaming app: it is the consumer-facing component of a wider production and distribution operation. Its principal competitive assets are control over original intellectual property, the ability to commission recurring series, and the possibility of monetizing those properties through subscriptions, third-party licensing, and adaptation rights.

Start was founded in 2017 by Eduard Iloyan, Vitaliy Shlyappo, Alexey Trotsyuk, and Denis Jalinskiy, producers associated with Yellow, Black and White. From the outset, the business was designed around the subscription distribution of professionally produced video and the development of exclusive programming. Its production relationships included Disney Russia and other major distributors, allowing the service to combine platform programming with broader industry partnerships. During its first years, Start concentrated on building a recognizable original catalogue. Its projects covered a broad range of genres, including the drama series Storm, the science-fiction series Better Than Us, the crime and relationship drama Gold Diggers, and the dramedy 257 Reasons to Live. The service also released projects such as Mediator, Passengers, Container, Offside, The Counted, A Good Man, The Vampires of Midland, Addicted, and Sherlock: The Russian Chronicles. Alongside series, the wider Start business participated in feature-film production or distribution, including Hotel Belgrade, The Factory, and Text. The company pursued international reach relatively early. By August 2019, it reported subscribers in 174 countries, and approximately 40 percent of its audience was outside the CIS. Better Than Us was a major international breakthrough: following its Start premiere, it became the first Russian production to obtain worldwide Netflix Original distribution and was dubbed into more than 20 languages. The result gave Start a prominent example of how a locally produced series could be repackaged for a global audience. Other programmes were licensed through international partners, and some Start productions were marketed as formats that could be remade for local markets. Start's licensing activity expanded in 2020. Amazon Prime acquired exclusive distribution rights for the first season of Gold Diggers after its Start release. Start also signed a two-year distribution arrangement with Walter Presents, under which a curated selection of international drama series was made available to Russian viewers. The agreement involved programmes including Professor T, Fugitives, Kepler(s), Stalk, Box 21, Young and Promising, Klem, and Code 37: Sex Crimes. Walter Presents separately licensed Gold Diggers for the United Kingdom and later acquired rights to Start's psychological thriller A Good Man. The platform continued to grow as an original-production business. In October 2020, Start announced that it had exceeded one million paying subscribers. Industry research cited in the reference material described it as one of the fastest-growing Russian streaming services over a two-year period and attributed approximately 6 percent of the Russian subscription-video-on-demand market to it. The company also disclosed substantial historical investment: co-founder Eduard Iloyan said that total investment had reached approximately 2.3–2.4 billion rubles by the end of 2019. In April 2021, Start became part of a broader digital media holding. The holding included Start Studio, responsible for rights connected with original series, and All Media, a feature-film distribution company. This structure broadened the operation from a streaming service into an integrated content enterprise covering production, rights management, distribution, and direct subscription access. By May 2021, the business reported more than 50 projects in production. Start's productions also received international recognition. Storm won a silver award at the New York Festivals TV and Film Awards in the Streaming Drama category. The film Text received the François Chalais Prize at the Festival du Cinéma Russe à Honfleur and later won four Golden Eagle Awards, including best motion picture, leading actor, supporting actor, and film editing. These results reinforced the company's strategy of using original production as both a subscription differentiator and an exportable catalogue. The available reference material does not establish a current headquarters, a current executive roster, a public listing, or a current ownership breakdown. Accordingly, those details remain unspecified in this dossier.

• 2021

  Digital media holding is formed

  [1]Start (streaming service)en.wikipedia.org

  Start becomes part of a holding that includes Start Studio and All Media.

• 2020

  Start passes one million paying subscribers

  [1]Start (streaming service)en.wikipedia.org

  The platform announces that its paying subscriber base has exceeded one million.

• 2019

  International subscriber reach expands

  [1]Start (streaming service)en.wikipedia.org

  Start reports subscribers in 174 countries, with approximately 40 percent outside the CIS.

• 2019

  Better Than Us becomes a global Netflix Original

  [1]Start (streaming service)en.wikipedia.org

  The series becomes the first Russian production to receive worldwide Netflix Original distribution and is dubbed into more than 20 languages.

• 2017

  Start is founded

  [1]Start (streaming service)en.wikipedia.org

  Eduard Iloyan, Vitaliy Shlyappo, Alexey Trotsyuk, and Denis Jalinskiy establish the streaming and content business.

A premium subscription streaming and content studio platform centered on Russian-language originals, with international distribution and format-export ambitions.

• Subscription video-on-demand · 2017

  Start subscription streaming service

  The core consumer service provides subscription access to Start originals, licensed programming, and other video entertainment. Its proposition is built around exclusive or early access to Russian-produced series and films, while the wider business uses the platform as a showcase for content that can later be licensed internationally.

• Original television and film content · 2017

  START Originals

  START Originals is the platform's in-house content portfolio. It includes scripted series such as Better Than Us, Gold Diggers, Storm, 257 Reasons to Live, A Good Man, Mediator, Container, and Passengers, as well as feature-film projects distributed through the broader START ecosystem.

• Content distribution · 2019

  International content licensing

  Start monetizes selected series and films outside its own service through third-party licensing, international distribution, and adaptation formats. Examples include the international release of Better Than Us, Amazon Prime's rights to Gold Diggers, and Walter Presents' acquisitions of Gold Diggers and A Good Man.

• 2021

  Integrate streaming with production and distributionStrategy

  Background

  Start's growth created a need for a broader organizational structure covering original production, rights administration, and feature-film distribution.

  Action taken

  Start became part of a digital media holding that also included Start Studio and All Media.

  Aftermath

  The group obtained a more integrated content-business structure, with activities spanning production, rights management, film distribution, and subscription streaming.

  Source

• 2020

  Expand international distribution of Start originalsProduct launch

  Background

  Start had developed a growing catalogue of original Russian-language productions and sought additional audiences and revenue beyond its own subscription service.

  Action taken

  The company supported international licensing of Gold Diggers through Amazon Prime and Walter Presents, while also placing selected Start productions in overseas markets.

  Aftermath

  The deals increased the international visibility of Start content and demonstrated a multi-window model in which originals could generate value through both subscriptions and external licensing.

  Source

• 2019

  Increase investment in original contentStrategy

  Background

  Start was competing in a rapidly developing streaming market where exclusive programming was a key means of attracting and retaining subscribers.

  Action taken

  The business invested approximately 2.3–2.4 billion Russian rubles in total by the end of 2019, according to a statement attributed to co-founder Eduard Iloyan.

  Aftermath

  The investment supported a substantial original slate and contributed to Start's reported subscriber and market-share growth, although the cited figure is historical and is not a current financial statement.

  Cumulative investment. Approximately 2.3–2.4 billion Russian rubles (By the end of 2019)

  Source

• 2021

  Start becomes part of a digital media holding[1]Start (streaming service)en.wikipedia.org

  M&A

  Start was organized within a digital media holding that also included Start Studio and the feature-film distributor All Media.

• 2020

  Start surpasses one million paying subscribers[1]Start (streaming service)en.wikipedia.org

  Other

  Start announced that its paying subscriber base had exceeded one million.

• 2020

  Start enters international distribution agreements[1]Start (streaming service)en.wikipedia.org

  M&A · Other

  The company reached arrangements involving Gold Diggers and a two-year cooperation agreement with Walter Presents for selected international drama content.

• 2019

  Start reaches subscribers in 174 countries[1]Start (streaming service)en.wikipedia.org

  Other

  The service reported subscribers across 174 countries, with about 40 percent located outside the CIS.

• 2019

  Better Than Us receives worldwide Netflix Original distribution[1]Start (streaming service)en.wikipedia.org

  Product launch · Other

  After its Start release, Better Than Us became the first Russian television production to be distributed worldwide as a Netflix Original and was dubbed into more than 20 languages.

• 2017

  Start launches as a subscription streaming service[1]Start (streaming service)en.wikipedia.org

  Other

  Start was established as a subscription streaming and original-content business by producers associated with Yellow, Black and White.

1. 1Start (streaming service)en.wikipedia.org
2. 2腾讯游戏与英伟达签署战略合作备忘录 将构建START云游戏平台finance.sina.com.cn