From Dune HD to Platform24: Dmitry Orekhov’s journey in streaming

Streaming is a rapidly growing market, with its size projected to surge from $677.91 billion in 2025 to $4.49 trillion by 2037. Additionally, a recent Trends to Watch report from global analyst and advisory firm Omdia predicts that 2025 will be the first year streaming revenues surpass traditional pay TV — and by a significant margin — reaching $213 billion.

This rapid growth makes the industry highly attractive to top talent. I spoke with Dmitry Orekhov, Executive Director at Platform24, a cutting-edge white-label interactive television and video-on-demand (VoD) platform. He shared valuable insights into the journey of a top executive in the field. Here’s what we can learn from his extensive career.

Big dreams

Growing up in the Russian outback, Dmitry Orekhov always knew that success would require hard work. From an early age, he developed a deep passion for computers and everything related to them. At one point, he even stepped in for his computer science teacher and led a class himself.

But Dmitry wasn’t from a wealthy family, and that was Russia in the mid-'90s — neither he nor his school had access to up-to-date computer technology, even something like a PC 286, which could have helped him develop computing skills. "At home, I had a Spectrum, while the school had some kind of Soviet-era personal computer. In that small town, there was no real opportunity for me to develop my skills," Dmitry recalls.

That’s why, as soon as he passed his final exams — skipping his graduation party — he traveled 2,000 kilometers to enroll at Nizhny Novgorod State Technical University. There, he pursued a degree in Information Systems to become a programmer. Initially admitted on a paid basis, he proved himself to be one of the top students in his cohort and was awarded a merit-based scholarship within a year.

True calling

Dmitry successfully graduated but never became a programmer. "During my studies, I discovered I had a talent for management," he says with a smile. He began his career as a promoter at an advertising agency during his first year of university, and by his final year, he was managing a regional office. He excelled to the point that, after earning his degree, the agency invited him to relocate to its headquarters in Moscow — and he accepted. "Nizhny Novgorod is a wonderful city, but the opportunities in the capital are far greater," Dmitry explains.

Despite his success in advertising, Dmitry knew it wasn’t his true calling. "I was drawn to technology," he explains. Not long after moving to Moscow, he applied for a position at Rolsen, a company specializing in TVs and other electronics. "I liked the company — one of their TVs was actually my first big purchase," Dmitry recalls. To his surprise, about six months later, he finally received a response. After going through the interview process, he secured a role in the company’s marketing department.

From there, his career quickly took off. Dmitry rose through the ranks, eventually becoming deputy head of special projects. He launched a corporate training center and later spearheaded the creation and management of the company’s e-commerce division.

While Rolsen was an interesting company, it remained focused on TVs and DVDs — products in a mature, well-established industry. But Dmitry craved new challenges. In early 2007, he had the chance to pivot into a more dynamic, emerging field. A former acquaintance approached him with an opportunity to join a brand-new company led by a founder passionate about what was then cutting-edge technology: high-definition video. At the time, the business was barely off the ground — it had a team of developers, a brand name (Dune HD), and a batch of Chinese-made HD network media players, but sales weren’t taking off. "Leaving a stable job at a large company — where my career was steadily advancing — to join a startup with almost nothing felt like a huge gamble. But I’ve always been drawn to technology. The founder’s enthusiasm and vision inspired me, so I took the leap," Dmitry recalls.

In just a few years, under Dmitry’s leadership, the company transformed from selling a handful of Chinese media players at a market stall — generating only a few thousand dollars in revenue — into developing its own product line. Distribution became Dmitry’s primary focus. "Building something from scratch is incredibly challenging, but it also gives you the freedom to do things right from the start," he recalls. "I developed a structured distribution and commercial strategy that ensured both broad market presence and strong partner incentives by carefully managing margins and the sales chain. As a result, our products made it onto the shelves of major national retailers. Eventually, we captured more than a third of the media player market in the country." Beyond dominating the domestic market, Dune HD gained international recognition. In 2010 and 2011, the company won prestigious industry awards, including the ConnectedWorld.TV Award for Best Communication TV Device of the Year.

New horizons

It was Orekhov who led the company into the emerging OTT (Over-the-Top) streaming market, which delivers digital content — movies, series, and music — over the internet rather than through traditional cable operators. Thanks to his efforts, Dune HD secured a contract with MegaFon, one of Russia’s top three telecom operators, enabling the launch of its own OTT TV service.

His expertise soon caught the attention of 24TV, a rising player in the industry. In 2016, he was appointed Executive Director. At the time, the company provided interactive TV services to internet providers under its own brand. One of Dmitry’s key achievements was expanding the audience to over a million users — without external investors and with minimal marketing spend. Today, 24TV is a recognized leader in the national OTT market, generating multimillion-dollar revenues.

Despite initial resistance from partners, Dmitry led the launch of a new business vertical: a white-label streaming platform for telecom operators and media companies, allowing them to create their own branded streaming services. "Over the past few years, I’ve been fully focused on expanding this segment of our business, and the results speak for themselves — our technology now powers more than 30 projects across eight countries, helping national operators and media companies build their own streaming platforms."

Under Orekhov's leadership, 24TV gradually evolved into an aggregator that, in addition to offering an extensive package of 400 TV channels, brings together Russia's largest online cinemas. These include Amediateka, START, viju, Nonfiction, and others for international partners. With a single subscription, users gain access to all partner content and can watch both television and movies through one app — without switching between different platforms or web versions of the streaming services. Thanks to Orekhov and his team’s efforts, 24TV has attracted over 18 million users since its launch.

Beyond borders

By 2022, Orekhov set his sights on international expansion. To support this goal, he launched Platform24, which became a resident of Uzbekistan’s IT Park — a strategic move that provided tax benefits and business incentives. "Innovation thrives in the right environment,” Orekhov explains. “Uzbekistan offered an ecosystem that fostered digital transformation, making it the perfect launchpad for Platform24."

The expansion delivered rapid results. Under Orekhov’s leadership, Platform24 secured key partnerships, including Beeline Uzbekistan, one of the country’s largest telecom providers, and Click, a financial super-app with over 16 million users. Together, they launched Click TV, an OTT service offering movies, series, and TV archives.

Kazakhstan soon followed, with Platform24 partnering with Alma+, the country’s second-largest telecom operator. This collaboration led to the creation of Alma TV, an internet television service that successfully transitioned from Lifestream to Platform24’s streaming technology. The platform now supports additional features like karaoke and local streaming services Birge.tv and Q-Film are also built on Platform24’s technology.

But Orekhov and his team didn’t stop there. Platform24 expanded into Kyrgyzstan and Azerbaijan, with Azerbaijan emerging as a particularly promising market. "There are no dominant local streaming services or strong OTT players from major operators," Orekhov notes. “That gap represents a massive opportunity."

Today, international markets contribute about 10% of Platform24’s revenue, a figure expected to rise as global expansion continues. In Russia, the company is projected to generate $6 million in revenue in 2024, with an additional $1 million from international markets — marking an impressive 70% year-over-year growth.

For Orekhov, the mission is clear: to make cutting-edge streaming solutions accessible to internet providers worldwide. "The streaming industry is evolving faster than ever," he says. "Our goal is to keep innovating, expanding, and providing telecom operators and media companies with the best tools to deliver high-quality content to their customers."

What advice would Dmitry give to those starting their careers?

Choose an industry that truly excites you. "Work should bring joy — without passion, success is hard to achieve," Orekhov reflects. "It’s also crucial to choose the right people to work with. First, your leadership — it shapes the conditions for professional growth and, ultimately, business success. Then, the team you build as a manager. They must not only be top professionals but also well-balanced individuals. Even the brilliance of a genius can slow down a business if they bring toxicity into the workplace."

Embrace new projects with confidence. When backed by healthy ambition and real expertise, you can start from scratch and grow to any height together.

Never stop learning — invest both time and money in education. "For example, while working at Dune HD, I earned an MBA, which provided essential skills for business development. These days, the value of education is often questioned, but I firmly believe that achieving success without a strong educational foundation is significantly harder. University shapes your thinking, while business school teaches you how to apply it strategically in the real world," Orekhov adds.