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Match! TV ( Official site of Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology and Mass Media) is a Russian free-to-air federal sports television channel owned by Gazprom Media.
The channel began broadcasting on November 1, 2015, and had been created in accordance with the order of Russian president Vladimir Putin, Указ Президента Российской Федерации от 15 июля 2015 года № 365 «О внесении изменения в перечень общероссийских обязательных общедоступных телеканалов и радиоканалов, утверждённый Указом Президента Российской Федерации от 24 июня 2009 года № 715» with the assistance of the editorial office of Gazprom-Media Holding, technical assistance of ANO Sports Broadcasting (Panorama's brand) and the frequency of Russia-2 (VGTRK). The general producer of the channel was Tina Kandelaki until she was replaced in September 2021 by Alexander Tashchin.
According to item 4 of the list of instructions following the Council meeting, signed by the Russian president on 25 June 2015, work on creating a nationwide mandatory public sports channel was to be completed by 1 August 2015. The new channel was named Match TV. As reported by the newspaper Vedomosti and confirmed by sports commentator Georgy Cherdantsev, all employees of Russia-2 were given the opportunity to transfer to Gazprom-Media.
On 15 July 2015, Russian President Vladimir Putin amended the decree "On Nationwide Mandatory Public TV and Radio Channels," replacing Russia-2 with Match TV in item 3 of the list, corresponding to the channel's position in the first multiplex of digital terrestrial television. On 31 July, the first license for Match TV was issued, incorporating all existing frequencies of Russia-2 (926 analog broadcast frequencies). Temporarily, from 1 August to 31 October 2015, Russia-2 broadcast in place of Match TV across its entire distribution network, both in analog and digital television.
Match TV was led by prominent TV host, producer, and public figure Tina Kandelaki (General Producer) and former CEOs of the Domashny Natalia Bilan (Creative Director) and Natalia Korotkova (Programming Director). Kandelaki's appointment was met with mixed reactions from viewers and staff of NTV-Plus sports channels, leading to a public dispute between Kandelaki and commentator Vasily Utkin, who announced on 11 August his refusal to work under the new director. However, he reversed his decision a month later.
In early October, employees of Sportivnoye Veshchaniye branches received notices of dismissal due to the "completion of the company's statutory activities." Equipment used during the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi—including 12 mobile TV stations, 7 mobile satellite communication stations, 2 mobile special equipment stations, a mobile central control room, and more—was transferred to Match TV and regional broadcasters. However, only a portion of Panorama employees moved to the new channel. The equipment was valued at $150 million.
Several promotional videos were produced featuring Match TV commentators and dozens of famous athletes. On 15 October 2015, unified metro passes for 60 rides (with a total print run of 1.2 million) went on sale in the Moscow Metro, alongside outdoor advertisements featuring Alena Zavarzina, Yelena Isinbayeva, Alexander Kerzhakov, Alina Kabaeva, Timofey Mozgov, and Tatiana Navka. The campaign coincided with the launch of Match TV.
On 18 November, RBK published an investigation revealing that Match TV had managed to organize an advertising campaign in the Moscow Metro virtually for free. The sole advertising operator in the metro had been barred from placing any ads since August 2015. Match TV secured support from the Moscow Metro State Unitary Enterprise, whose employees placed stickers. Other advertising agencies were denied similar requests, as commercial advertising was to be handled by a new contractor to be selected at auction. The Moscow Department of Transport stated that it did not consider the Match TV stickers commercial advertising, and the metro's revenue from the operation equaled its expenses. However, by law, socially significant advertising must feature the Moscow coat of arms and a note stating, "With the support of the Moscow government," which were absent from the stickers. If the advertising had been classified as socially significant, its cost would have been 20% of the standard rate (5 million rubles instead of 25.3 million rubles per month).
On 29 October, an official presentation of the channel was held for the press and future viewers at the Radisson Hotels Royal Hotel in Moscow.
Starting in 2016, during routine maintenance on Match TV, which occurred every three months from Tuesday to Wednesday night (later from Sunday to Monday night from 2020, and from Thursday to Friday starting 16 May 2025), broadcasts were temporarily switched to the old channels 2x2 and Zvezda. Maintenance periods initially ran from 2:00 to 10:00 Moscow time (extended to 11:00 from July 2016). These measures were introduced on 20 January 2016, following the practices of TV-6, TVS, and Sport/Russia-2, and coincided with similar schedules on NTV and Kultura.
In January 2016, about half of the channel's commentators were laid off, and several prominent sports journalists ended their collaboration with Match TV (including Vasily Utkin, Vladimir Stognienko, Alexey Andronov, Kirill Dementyev, Alexander Yelagin (briefly), and Alexander Kuzmak). Layoffs continued in 2017, despite denials from the channel's press service. Many managers involved in the channel's founding also left. Later, Maria Komandnaya, Ekaterina Kirillcheva, Valery Karpin, and Roman Gutzeit also ceased working with the channel.
In September 2016, Match TV refused to broadcast the Paralympics, from which Russian athletes were banned. Kandelaki stated that the decision was justified by "a sense of dignity and respect for the country".
Ratings in the channel's early months were lower than those of Russia-2. According to Colta.ru, by the end of 2015, Match TV ranked 19th in popularity among federal channels. By the end of 2016, it still lagged behind Russia-2, with a 3.2% share among men aged 25–59.
In May 2017, Match TV filed lawsuits against Sports.ru, accusing the site of illegally broadcasting clips from the Football National League. In response, Sports.ru accused the channel of plagiarizing content and threatened a countersuit. According to Vasily Utkin, to cut costs or due to potential restrictions on Russian participation, Match TV did not book studios or commentary positions for the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, sending only correspondents to South Korea. All other commentators worked from Moscow. Around the same time, the Russian government allocated 1 billion rubles to Match TV for coverage of the 2019 Universiade.
From October 2017, Match TV became part of the GPM Razvlekatelnoye TV holding, alongside thematic channels of the Match! sub-holding and the website Sportbox.ru (initially, the holding included channels TNT, TV-3, Pyatnitsa!, TNT4, 2x2, Super, and production studios Comedy Club Production and Good Story Media), managed by Artur Janibekyan. Former Match! sub-holding director Dmitry Granov became the executive director of Match TV. The management model for the sports channel was revised to "optimize key business processes, reduce management costs, and improve operational efficiency."
From November 2017, mass layoffs began at Match TV, with several departments and services (including HR, finance, legal, analytics, and programming) being abolished, their functions transferred to GPM Razvlekatelnoye TV.
From January to March 2018, Match TV's average daily share among its target audience (men aged 14–59) was 3.4% nationwide, according to Mediascope.
Starting in 2019, Match TV lost broadcasting rights to several major football tournaments. In April 2019, it was reported that Rambler Group had acquired the rights to broadcast Premier League matches for three years. From August 2019 to March 2022, the tournament was shown on the Okko streaming service (part of Rambler), which hired many former Match TV employees, including Vladimir Stognienko, Alexander Elagin, and Roman Gutzeit. However, from the 2022/2023 season, EPL rights returned to Match TV. Later, rights to La Liga, the Coppa Italia, the UEFA Nations League, and qualifiers for Euro 2024, Euro 2028, and the 2026 World Cup also moved from Match TV to Okko.
On 1 November 2019, Match TV changed its logo, graphics, and slogan to "Match! TV – The Empire of Sport". The logo also stopped disappearing during commercials. From that day, during ads, the logo became white and semi-transparent, without a black rectangle background (on 23 and 24 March 2024, the MATCH text appeared in silver without a gradient).
Additionally, Russian print publications (both federal and regional) providing TV schedules did not include Match TV's programming for the periods of 23 March to 12 April, 15 to 21 June, and 3 to 9 August 2020, due to difficulties in compiling the schedule for the reasons mentioned above. Instead, schedules of other channels were temporarily published in its place. For example, magazines like 7 Days and Antenna-Telesem replaced Match TV's schedule with that of OTR, while the weekly Telec published the schedule of Pobeda. The weekly Komsomolskaya Pravda and its affiliated magazine Teleprogramma replaced it with the schedule of Channel Five. The weekly Vechernyaya Moskva was one of the few print publications that stopped publishing Match TV's schedule altogether, replacing it with TV-3.
On 6 November 2020, media reports indicated that the channel's chief producer, Natalia Bilan, had left her position.
From February 2021 to October 2022, Match TV aired non-sports content to boost ratings, including the automotive show Glavnaya Doroga (from NTV), the dance show Tantsy (from TNT), as well as various TV series (mostly reruns from other channels within the holding) and films. This programming helped expand its target audience.
In June 2021, Match TV faced challenges in broadcasting UEFA Euro 2020: initially, only review and analytical programs were aired, with no live or recorded match broadcasts. However, a few days later, official information confirmed that all matches would be shown, with 17 broadcast live. Additionally, match broadcasts during the tournament (like those on other broadcasting channels) were not available on third-party websites or online TV services due to rights holder restrictions—they were exclusively streamed on the channel's website.
Beyond match broadcasts and regular studio shows from its Moscow headquarters, Match TV set up a remote studio in one of the host cities, Saint Petersburg, during Euro 2020. The 180-person team provided hourly updates from the scene, covering events at the Gazprom Arena, fan sentiments, and off-pitch activities in the city. The studio, housed in a futuristic mirrored sphere resembling a spaceship, became a hub for fans.
In August 2021, commentator Nobel Arustamyan left the channel. He cited a forced interview with FC Rostov player Pavel Mamayev, which focused entirely on his divorce proceedings, as the reason. After recording the interview, Arustamyan unsuccessfully tried to convince the channel's management not to air such content on a sports channel, ultimately resigning. Shortly after, Denis Kazansky also left. Over the channel's first six years, more than 15 commentators and journalists, including Vasily Utkin, Kirill Dementyev, Roman Gutzeit, Gennady Orlov, and Valery Karpin, had departed.
In 2021, the launch of a dedicated news agency called "Match+" (with Vasiliy Konovalov appointed as its CEO) and a press center was planned. However, the creation of a radio station within the "Match!" ecosystem was not considered due to the unprofitability of such an endeavor, according to Aleksandr Zharov, the CEO of Gazprom-Media.
In September 2021, Tine Kandelaki left her position as the channel's general producer to become the deputy CEO of Gazprom-Media. Her role was taken over by Alexander Taschin, the former editor-in-chief of Match TV, who had previously held leadership positions at Russia-2, Russia-24, and Russia Today.
In October 2021, it was reported that the new contract between the channel and the Russian Premier League exceeded $100 million per season.
In December 2021, the government allocated 7.954 billion rubles for the distribution of broadcasts from Match TV and other channels including Channel One, NTV, Channel Five, TV Center, and Carousel, in cities with populations under 100,000.
Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine and subsequent sanctions starting in March 2022, Match TV lost broadcasting rights for numerous sporting events, including French, Dutch, Portuguese, and Scottish football championships, English and French cups, South American World Cup qualifiers, Formula 1 championships, and various international competitions where Russian athletes were banned. The English Premier League suspended its six-year contract with Match TV. As a result, the channel’s audience dropped sixfold. Prominent commentators such as Sergey Krivokharchenko, Alexander Shmurnov, Sergei Tarakanov, and Mikhail Polenov left the channel. Starting mid-July 2022, the channel began broadcasting matches from the First League (one match per round), having acquired the rights in February.
In October 2022, it was announced that non-sports-related movies and series would be removed from the channel’s programming grid in the new television season. Additionally, the channel secured exclusive rights to broadcast all matches of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, followed by acquiring rights to Spain’s Copa del Rey and Supercopa, as well as Brazil’s championship.
Beginning in February 2023, following a decision by Gazprom-Media CEO Alexander Zharov, Match TV ceased uploading content to YouTube. The holding stated that it was impossible to maintain long-term business relations with the platform after YouTube blocked the channels of TNT and NTV. Video content continued to be published on the Russian video hosting service Rutube.
In April 2024, the channel suspended renowned basketball commentator Vladimir Gomelsky after he referred to Dmitri Sonko, a player for Yenisey, as a “half-baked product who can’t do anything” during a VTB United League game. Gomelsky later transitioned to work with Okko.
In early April 2024, reports emerged that Match TV would likely no longer broadcast UEFA Champions League matches, with the rights instead going to the Okko streaming service. This followed UEFA awarding the rights without a tender to Kazakh company Quest Media, with whom the Russian sports channel failed to reach an agreement. The contract in question was estimated at around €30–35 million per season. On July 5, 2024, the channel confirmed the loss of rights to broadcast European club competitions in Russia.
In July 2024, Match TV acquired the rights to broadcast Spain’s La Liga for the next seven years from Okko Sport.
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