Russia’s Star Media launches global streaming service Lava

Russian production company Star Media has unveiled new streaming service Lava, which promises to offer more that 7,500 hours of content to global audiences.

The service, which is being launched with white label provider OTTera, will provide access to series and films dubbed and subtitled in up to eight languages, including English, Spanish, French and Portuguese. It will be available in autumn 2021, Star Media said.

The streamer is based on a tiered system. Free users will have access to content with advertising, while paid subscribers will have a larger library without ads.

Star Media said that the streamer will evolve with a ‘second stage’ that will see it offer “cooperation opportunities to all its partners whose content is already successfully aggregated by the company’s multi-channel network on YouTube” and protected against pirates by its security tech ContentScan.

Vlad Riashyn, president of Star Media Group, said his company is “not planning to compete with global platforms and local streaming services” but rather wishes to “cooperate” with established firms.

“Our target audience are descendants from the former Soviet Union, members of their families and friends living all over the world. Key markets are North and South America, Western and Eastern Europe, Israel and a part of Asia,” he added.

“We have reached out to some part of the Russian-speaking audience with YouTube and want to increase the segment consistently with the additional service. New original projects will enter the scene soon, including the ones we are planning to co-produce with other partners with possible division of territories.”