India's New TV Ratings Policy Incorporates Connected TV Measurement
India's updated television ratings policy mandates technology-neutral measurement across all platforms, including OTT and connected TVs. The aim is to create a unified audience measurement framework.
India has introduced a new policy for television audience measurement that expands its scope to include digital platforms such as Over-The-Top (OTT) services and connected TVs. The Television Ratings Policy 2026, effective March 27, replaces the previous 2014 framework and requires ratings agencies to adopt a technology-neutral measurement approach.
The policy's core objective is to capture a more accurate picture of viewership in an increasingly fragmented media landscape. Beyond traditional cable and direct-to-home (DTH) television, the reform mandates that ratings agencies measure viewing through internet-connected devices. A key challenge will be to accurately distinguish between viewing on different platforms and prevent the same audience from being counted multiple times.
New requirements are also set for ratings agencies, including minimum metered home targets and enhanced transparency in methodologies, audits, and data protection. The policy aims to foster greater competition in the ratings market, which has been dominated by Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC).
While the new framework opens the market to additional players, it does not prescribe a single industry-wide method for deduplicating viewers across various sources. The development of such a methodology is expected to be a critical aspect of the policy's implementation.