The advertising market on pirate video services in Russia has started to grow again. In the first half of 2026, it increased by 4.2% — for the first time since 2024. This is not due to higher placement costs: from January to August, traffic on such platforms increased by approximately 10%.

Advertising on pirate sites sometimes costs as much as on legal video services. According to market participants, a thousand video ad impressions before content on popular illegal platforms can cost approximately 260 rubles. For comparison, in "VK Video," the average cost is estimated at about 170–180 rubles, although the specific rate depends on the auction.

Despite the growth of the segment itself, the share of advertising budgets going to pirate resources decreased from 3.4% to 2.7%. Bookmakers remain the most active advertisers: illegal platforms account for about 38% of their advertising expenses. Online cinemas, telecom operators, travel and sports services, food delivery, and transport companies also use such placements.

Experts explain the interest simply: pirate sites still provide access to a large audience that brands want to reach additionally. However, such placements carry risks — from audience opacity to questions of effectiveness and reputation.

Meanwhile, legal online cinemas continue to grow: their revenue in the first half of 2026 increased by 31%, to 99.5 billion rubles. However, the share of advertising in their revenues remains small — about 3.3%.