DW: High usage numbers due to coverage of Wagner uprising in Russia

DW responded to the advance of Wagner troops (which was later halted) on Moscow on June 24 with increased coverage across TV, social media and its websites including several live segments and monothematic specials. DW studios in Riga (formerly the Moscow bureau), Brussels and Washington, D.C. aired expert interviews and analyses. DW also offered a wide range of background reports on the topic that involved many DW language services. In particular, DW Russian, English and Spanish recorded very high usage figures. 

Usage of DW Russian  

Usage of the DW Russian YouTube channel increased particularly on Sunday, June 25: On that day, three live broadcasts of the DW Novosti news program generated a total of more than 1.2 million views. In one of the live segments, DW Russian provided information and background analyses on the situation on the ground for more than four and a half hours straight.   

On Saturday, June 24, the DW Russian Facebook channel recorded its highest usage since the beginning of the year (700 percent more views compared to the 2023 daily average). Usage of dw.com/Russian also increased significantly on Saturday (54 percent more visits compared to the daily 2023 average).  

DW Editor-in-Chief Manuela Kasper-Claridge: "Our quick response to the events in Russia over the weekend and the resulting significant increase in views show us that users value DW as a credible source, also in breaking news situations. With our diverse expertise and in-depth background information, we are reliably fulfilling our legal mandate." 

DW responded to the advance of Wagner troops on Moscow on June 24 with increased coverage across all channels

Usage of DW News (English) and DW Español 

The DW News and DW Español YouTube channels each generated the highest number of video views since the beginning of the year with videos related to the Wagner Group on Saturday, June 24. 

On the same day, DW News reached over 6 million views on YouTube (+315 percent views compared to the 2023 daily average). The top three videos covered the Prigozhin rebellion, garnering a total of 4.6 million views. Former Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov was one of the interview guests. 

A similar trend emerged for DW Español on YouTube: On Saturday, the usage figures peaked (+175 percent compared to the daily average in 2023), with Wagner content accounting for the top 8 videos of the day.