India’s TV ratings gap has opened an opportunity for cable and satellite operators to publish their own viewing data. GTPL Hathway has begun releasing figures from connected set-top boxes, although its data covers its own subscribers rather than the national television audience.

Key Takeaways

  • GTPL tracks 10,000 set-top boxes and plans to expand the sample to 50,000.
  • BARC has not published ratings since June 2026, and registration applications from BARC and TAM remain pending.
  • Operator data could supplement audience measurement, but its coverage and methodology remain important limitations.

Why TV ratings data is changing

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting asked the Broadcast Audience Research Council, or BARC, to comply with the TV Ratings Policy 2026. The framework permits distribution platform operators to publish viewing data collected from their subscribers.

GTPL is working with TAM India on its return-path-data service. Television ratings help inform advertising and programming decisions in a market where TV advertising is estimated at Rs 30,000–40,000 crore.

What set-top box data can show

Return-path data records which channels connected set-top boxes watch and for how long, typically at household or device level. BARC’s people meters use a panel of selected households and information about household members to estimate individual viewing.

GTPL’s figures reflect its subscriber base and operating markets. Industry executives caution that an individual operator’s footprint may not represent viewing across India, and that sampling, data integrity and independent scrutiny matter.

An alternative or a supplement?

Partho Dasgupta, managing partner at Thoth Advisors and a former BARC India chief executive, said the data could clarify channel rankings within an operator’s territory, but lacks the individual and demographic detail needed to serve as an industry trading currency.

Combining data from multiple operators could improve geographical coverage, an audience measurement expert said. Broader adoption would still depend on operator participation, credible sampling, transparent methods and safeguards.

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