VK will finalize the conditions for connecting ticket operators to the Pushkin Card by May 1

“Kommersant” learned that the Ministry of Digital Development and the Ministry of Culture instructed VK (MOEX: VKCO) ensure the possibility of technical connection of ticket operators to the Pushkin Card program by May 1. Market participants doubt that the holding will be able to create the platform on time – VK was considering purchasing a specialized service, but so far nothing is known about such a deal. Players also have many questions about the conditions for entering the program and interacting with VK. Officials clarify that unified requirements are still being developed and promise “equal access” to the Pushkin Card.

Kommersant’s sources in the media market said that during a meeting between the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Digital Development with ticket operators and the VK holding on the issue of connecting to the Pushkin Card youth program, they decided that the holding should provide the technical ability to connect to a single profile platform by May 1. TASS reported on March 12 that the Ministry of Digital Development and the Ministry of Culture will prepare unified requirements for ticket operators to connect to the Pushkin Card by April 1. The Ministry of Culture confirmed to Kommersant plans to develop unified requirements, refusing additional explanations. The Ministry of Digital Development did not respond to the request. VK declined to comment.

We are talking about fulfilling the requirements of a government decree published on February 22. According to the document, VK is assigned the role of a free provider of “trusted information systems” within the framework of the “Pushkin Card”. But market participants said that the platform was not ready, and the conditions for working with VK create risks (see Kommersant on March 4). The resolution states that VK will provide the “technological possibility” of distribution and payment, information about available tickets, hall layouts, cultural organizations, and organize monitoring of violations and abuses. In case of violation of the rules, the institution or operator will be disconnected from the Pushkin Card.

Yandex Poster confirmed the fact of the meeting with regulators, but refused to disclose details. MTS Live (Ticketland, Ticketscloud services) believe that the introduction of uniform rules and approaches should be aimed at “a significant reduction in fraud, transparency of sales and analytics” for the Pushkin Card: “We are looking forward to the legal and technical requirements, after familiarization with which we can give feedback and offer our additions.” Kassir.ru declined to comment.

“Market participants fear that VK, one of the main recipients of preferences from the state, with its support will become a kind of single ticket operator,” says Kommersant’s interlocutor in the ticket market. Therefore, “it is extremely important for players to achieve changes in conditions,” the source believes: “For example, monitoring information about violations and abuses within the framework of use of the Pushkin Card should be transferred to the Ministry of Digital Development or even Roskomnadzor.” Another Kommersant source clarifies that at the meeting, regulators promised all market participants “equal access” to the Pushkin Card.

Kommersant’s interlocutors also doubt that VK will be able to launch a full-fledged ticketing platform in such a short time: “The holding still does not have its own operator, what other aggregators will connect to by May 1 is a rhetorical question.” In the fall, it became known that the holding was considering the purchase of one of the existing platforms (see “Kommersant” dated November 29, 2023), Kommersant’s sources named the cloud service for monitoring and managing the sale of tickets Intickets and the aggregator Kassir.ru. However, there has still been no information confirming this or that transaction.

Yulia Yurasova