VK Video cuts monetization threshold fivefold to 1,000 subscribers from Sept. 1

August 18, 2026 · www1.ru

From September 1, 2026, VK Video channels with as little as 1,000 subscribers can join the platform's partner program, a fivefold cut from the current 5,000-subscriber floor. Access still depends on more than follower count: creators need original content and at least 500 hours of cumulative watch time across the previous 90 days, and those short of that mark get a three-month adaptation window. VK frames the move as opening the program to newer creators while keeping its core weight on channels that publish original content and build their audience consistently.

More small and mid-sized channels qualifying for revenue share expands the pool of monetized inventory on a platform Mediascope measured at about 4 million average daily active users in the first half of 2026, a figure that excludes third-party embedded views. VK has also reported total audience climbing to 42.2 million users in January 2026 from 41.1 million in December 2025, growth that adds weight to a platform already drawing wider creator participation. Buyers weighing Russian digital video inventory alongside traditional TV gain another data point on where attention is shifting.