With more than 77 million internet users, one of the highest social media engagement rates in the region and a rapidly expanding creator economy, Türkiye is increasingly becoming a preferred destination for international digital platforms introducing new business models.
As audiences worldwide reassess traditional subscription services and creators seek alternatives to advertising-driven monetization, streaming platforms are exploring more flexible revenue models. Among the latest is the ‘pay-as-you-watch’ approach, where viewers pay only for the content they actually consume, while creators earn revenue based on genuine audience engagement rather than advertising impressions.
Industry observers say Türkiye's combination of a young digital population, globally recognized creators and high online consumption makes the country an attractive market for launching innovative digital services.
One of the companies adopting this approach is MovieMe, which selected Türkiye as its first operating market. Rather than offering monthly subscriptions, the platform allows users to purchase viewing minutes and pay only for the time they spend watching content. According to the company, creators receive 70% of the revenue generated from actual viewing time, introducing an alternative monetization model centered on audience engagement.
MovieMe said it chose Türkiye because of the country's rapidly expanding creator economy, strong digital engagement and internationally recognized content creators. Among its first flagship creators is social media personality Alper Rende, whose audience exceeds 8.7 million followers.
"Türkiye is home to one of the world's strongest creator communities," said Bhavesh Joshi, Founder and CEO of MovieMe. "We believe creators should be rewarded by genuine audience interest rather than algorithms or advertising."
According to company figures, the platform reached 150,000 organic downloads during its beta period and recorded a 43.5% first-month retention rate. Users aged 18-34 account for approximately 60% of its paying audience, while the platform reports active users across more than 90 countries.
As Türkiye's digital economy continues to expand, industry experts expect the country to play an increasingly important role as an early launch market for international platforms experimenting with new content distribution and monetization models.