Draft TRP Policy to Modernise TV Viewership Ratings

On 2nd July 2025, the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting released draft amendments to overhaul India’s television viewership measurement system, aiming to modernise the outdated TRP methodology and invite broader participation from technology players.

Key Points

Multi-Platform Viewership: The new policy acknowledges content consumption across cable, DTH, smart TVs, mobile apps, and OTT platforms.
End of Monopoly: The changes propose allowing multiple agencies to operate alongside BARC, breaking the existing rating monopoly.
Outdated Metrics: The current system uses ~58,000 people-meters, covering only 0.025% of India’s 230 million TV households.
New Technology Push: The reform encourages tech upgrades to better track audience behaviour across connected devices.
Policy Amendments:
- Eases conflict-of-interest clauses
- Removes restrictions on advisory roles
- Allows broadcasters and advertisers to invest in rating agencies under a stronger governance model
Improved Accuracy: Enhanced competition is expected to drive data reliability, audience diversity, and granular insights.