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TV Ratings Blackout: Broadcasters Demand Clarity as BARC Suspension Hits Festive Season
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Storyboard•22-09-2026, 09:47
TV Ratings Blackout: Broadcasters Demand Clarity as BARC Suspension Hits Festive Season
- •Broadcasters at the IBDF AGM urged the MIB to restore BARC television ratings, citing crucial need for current audience data for revenue, advertiser confidence, and media planning.
- •The suspension of BARC ratings comes during the critical festive advertising season, impacting campaign planning and pricing for broadcasters, agencies, and advertisers.
- •The MIB's Television Ratings Policy 2026 introduced a new framework, requiring BARC to register under it and withholding ratings until compliance is met.
- •The policy aims for a broader, more transparent measurement ecosystem with an expanded panel, independent audits, and potential for multiple rating agencies, including TAM India and Chrome DM.
- •The ongoing blackout, stemming from the 2020 TRP controversy, significantly impacts commercial decisions and advertising spend evaluation, especially with increased competition from measurable digital platforms.
Key Questions Answered
The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting directed BARC to withhold television audience measurement across all genres until it completes registration under the new Television Ratings Policy 2026.
The policy removes the cap on rating agencies, lowers the minimum net-worth requirement to Rs 5 crore, expands metered homes to at least 80,000, and excludes landing-page viewership from official ratings.
In the absence of current ratings data during the crucial festive advertising season, the market has relied on historical BARC data, broadcaster-level analytics, and other measurement proxies.
