MOSCOW, December 23. /TASS/. Over 17 million TV viewers watched Russian President Vladimir Putin’s combined year-end press briefing and Q&A session this year, which is more than in 2021 and 2023, according to data provided to TASS by the Mediascope research company.

The data specifically shows that the overall audience of all TV channels that aired the Year-end Recap with Vladimir Putin program exceeded 17 million.

The audience share (the average number of viewers who watched the program as a percentage of the total TV audience) stood at 63.4%. The program’s rating (the average number of TV viewers as a percentage of the total population) reached 12.5%.

The study counted TV viewers over the age of four across Russia. The program was aired live by eight TV channels, including Channel One, Rossiya-1, Rossiya-24, NTV, Soloviev Live, and Mir, as well as Channel Five and Ren TV. All TV channels began the broadcast at 12:11 p.m. Moscow time (9:11 a.m. GMT) on December 19 and concluded it at 4:37 p.m. or 4:38 p.m.

Last year, around 16.3 million Russian TV viewers over the age of four watched the broadcast of Putin’s combined Q&A session and annual press conference. The audience share on six TV channels was 59.4%, while the program’s rating stood at 11.9%.

In 2021, the audience share of the president’s year-end press conference, broadcast by five TV channels, was 55.4%, and its rating was 12.3%. About 16.8 million people watched the program.

That said, the 2024 Year-end Recap With Vladimir Putin program surpassed the figures recorded in previous years in terms of audience share and rating.

Year-end Recap

Russian President Vladimir Putin held his combined Q&A sessions and annual press briefing on December 19. This was the third time the two events were merged, with the first time being in 2020. Back then, the Kremlin described the activity as a press briefing with elements of a Q&A session. The coronavirus pandemic prevented the events from being held separately. The combined event again took place in 2023. The Kremlin explained that it allowed for a review of the year in all areas. The event was titled Year-end Recap With Vladimir Putin.

Initially, the two events were held separately. Putin has held 18 Q&A sessions and 16 press conferences since 2001 (not counting the combined events).