Video on VK.

What Mediascope showed

In February 2026 Mediascope published its data for January: VK Video became the most popular video service in Russia for the first time. Monthly audience — 82.8 million people against 65.9 for YouTube and 47.7 for Rutube. By average daily audience the gap is even wider: 42.2 million for VK Video, 22 for YouTube, 8.3 for Rutube.

A caveat worth remembering: the measurement covered viewing via websites and apps, without Smart TV, background and embedded viewing. In other words, this is the active audience that actually opens the service, not a TV in the corner.

The short format has its own story in numbers. According to VK data cited by OMNIMIX, Clips has 83.5 million users a month, 47 million a day and 2.7 billion views a day. This is no longer a “replacement for banned platforms” but a self-contained environment with its own rules.

What this changes for business

The audience has arrived; the habits haven't fully. People watch VK Video and Clips, but they subscribe to and return to brands less often than on familiar platforms. The point for business isn't to “be there” but that reach here is still cheaper than in overheated channels.

Short video is the last free reach. Clips take off through recommendations, the feed and communities. It's one of the few formats where a business gets organic reach with no budget — provided the video holds attention in the first seconds.

Views have become more honest. Since 2026 a view on VK Video is counted only after five seconds of playback; previously autoplay counted. Many people's report figures dropped, but they now reflect real interest, and comparing videos with each other has become easier.

The path to an order is shorter. Clips are built into the ecosystem: subscribe, message the community, order — without leaving the app. For a local business this is closer to “saw it — wrote in” than to a classic funnel.

New Clips formats in 2026

According to the OMNIMIX overview, VK is betting this year on formats inside Clips rather than on classic display advertising. Shops — product cards right inside a clip, purchase without leaving. Promo and TopView — paid scaling of a video with controlled reach. Discover — pinning a clip in the search section for three days. Branded portlet — a selection of 6–40 videos in the main feed. Floating button — an interactive element with a modal window. And #Trend — launching your own trend with platform support.

Prices aren't disclosed in the overview, and that is telling: the formats are sold as special projects, through managers, not via self-service. From this list, small businesses primarily have access to Promo and organic reach; the rest is for brands with a special-project budget.

How to work with the platform

Long video is a series, not a one-off shot. VK Video supports expert content: reviews, breakdowns, product demonstrations. Regularity works here — a channel with ten videos on one topic gets more than a single “viral” video with no follow-up.

Short comes from long. Clips are cut from the same footage: one expert video yields five to seven clips with individual ideas. This removes the main problem for small business — production.

The first three seconds. The five-second view threshold means a video has to grab attention before it even gets counted. Question, result, number — in the first frame; logo — in the last.

Measure actions, not views. Community subscriptions, messages, clicks through to the site. Views are more honest after the reform, but they aren't what brings orders. Set up UTM tags on the links in the description and goals in Yandex Metrica — otherwise the platform will remain “for image” only.

On shooting videos without a studio and what actually sells — in our article on video in product cards and AI-generated videos.

What not to do

Uploading old videos from other platforms to VK Video with someone else's logos and watermarks: the algorithm downranks such content, and the audience reads it as second-hand. Buying Promo for a video that nobody watches organically: paid scaling amplifies what already works; it doesn't fix a weak video. Comparing views before and after February 2026: the counting method changed, and a drop in numbers is not a drop in interest.

In short

• January 2026, Mediascope: VK Video 82.8 million a month against 65.9 for YouTube; daily 42.2 against 22.
• Clips: 83.5 million a month, 2.7 billion views a day — the last free reach for business.
• A view is counted after 5 seconds: figures are more honest, old comparisons are invalid.
• New 2026 formats: Shops, Promo and TopView, Discover, portlet, floating button, #Trend — mostly special projects.
• Work in series, cut clips from long videos, measure actions rather than views.

Frequently asked questions

Should a small business start a VK Video channel?

Yes, if there is something to fill it with regularly: breakdowns, demonstrations, answers to questions. One video a quarter will deliver nothing.

Which is cheaper — Clips or targeted ads in VK Ads?

Organic reach in Clips is free but unpredictable. Targeted ads can be measured precisely. The working combination: clips for reach, targeted ads for enquiries.

Why did views drop in 2026?

A view is now counted after five seconds; autoplay doesn't count. This is a change of method, not of audience.

Are the new Clips formats available to small business?

Promo — yes. Shops, Discover, portlet and #Trend are sold as special projects through VK managers.