Beeline adds More.tv SVOD offering, names new CFO

Russian service provider VimpelCom, which operates under the Beeline brand has launched National Media Group-owned subscription video-on-demand offering Bilayn TV (More.tv) on its platform.

More.tv, which is aimed at a broad family audience, includes premieres of Russian series ahead of their terrestrial TV airing and international series at the time of their international release, along with a range of kids animated content.

The service will also offer More.tv originals including Chiki with Irina Gorbacheva and Anton Lapenko and, in November, Fyodor Bondarchuk’s Psikh (Psycho).

International series on the offering include Great and Twin Peaks from Paramount, The Handmaid’s Tale from MGM and Warner Bros’s Prodigal Son.

The service is available free of charge for seven days, and for RUB299 a month thereafter.

“Now Beeline TV users have access to even more diverse and interesting content for every taste. We closely monitor the preferences of our clients and try to offer them exactly what they need. Exclusive Russian, foreign serials and shows from the more.tv service allow us to diversify the range of content for existing subscribers of Beeline TV, as well as attract a new audience to the service,” said George Held, EVP for digital and new business at Beeline TV.

“We are pleased to offer a more.tv subscription to Beeline subscribers and expand the audience of our users. The library of exclusive content in More TV is actively expanding, the new season of premieres promises to be attractive and rich, both thanks to Russian and foreign TV premieres, and digital hits that are produced specifically for More TV,” said Denis Gorshkov, CEO of More TV.

Lyudmila Smirnova

Separately, Beeline has named Lyudmila Smirnova as its new chief financial officer.

As EVP and CFO, Smirnova will be responsible for financial and management reporting, planning and budget execution fo the company.

She previously served for three years as head of finance at Russian security technology provider Kapersky Lab. Prior to that, she served as chief financial officer for Tele2 Russia for over five years.

Beeline said that Smirnova’s rich professional experience sould help her to optimise existing business processes and build effective investment management and planning.

In her new role she will report to CEO Alexander Torbakhov.