Centre rolls out new TV rankings coverage, brings OTT into measurement| India Information
New Delhi
The federal government on Friday notified the TV Scores Coverage 2026, changing the over a decade outdated 2014 framework and widening the scope of rankings to cowl OTT platforms, linked TVs and different digital viewing modes. Additionally, to deal with issues round manipulation, the coverage says that views generated from touchdown pages, the place channels autoplay when one switches on a TV, is not going to be counted.
The ultimate coverage comes months after the federal government floated a draft in July 2025, the place it had proposed loosening some guidelines to permit extra firms to enter the TV rankings house. On the time, the ministry had flagged that the system, dominated by a single company, Broadcast Viewers Analysis Council (BARC), didn’t absolutely seize viewership on good TVs, cell apps and streaming platforms, and relied on a comparatively small pattern measurement.
The draft had prompt eradicating sure restrictions, together with cross-holding guidelines. Nevertheless, the ultimate coverage doesn’t undertake this modification. In the meantime, some issues haven’t modified. Just like the 2014 coverage, the federal government nonetheless has the ability to examine score companies, step in on nationwide safety grounds, and even droop operations in sure conditions like nationwide safety issues, emergencies, or battle.
The federal government has additionally considerably elevated the pattern measurement used to calculate rankings. Beneath the 2014 guidelines, rankings had been primarily based on 20,000 houses, expandable to 50,000. The brand new coverage requires at the least 80,000 houses, with plans to scale this as much as 1.2 lakh houses over time.
“By these measures, the Authorities of India reaffirms its dedication to a good, aggressive and well-governed broadcasting atmosphere that safeguards the stakeholders and public curiosity,” mentioned the federal government in a press launch. The discharge additionally mentioned OTT and TV distribution platforms could publish their very own viewership knowledge with out requiring registration as score companies.
There are additionally modifications to how score companies are run. At the least half the board should now be unbiased administrators, and the minimal internet price required to enter the house has been decreased from ₹20 crore to ₹5 crore, doubtlessly making it simpler for brand new gamers to return in. To make sure neutrality, the coverage says that at the least 50% of the Board of Administrators should be Unbiased Administrators with no ties to broadcasters /advertisers/promoting companies. Moreover, companies are prohibited from partaking in consultancy roles that would create conflicts of curiosity.
Per the brand new guidelines, score companies will now must publish their methodology, disclose limitations, and share anonymised knowledge with the federal government. Whereas the 2014 coverage allowed inspections and audits by the federal government and TRAI, the 2026 coverage goes a step additional by establishing a devoted Ministry-level Audit and Oversight Group to hold out common, in addition to risk-based, audits of score companies, together with their programs, methodologies and subject operations.
The 2026 coverage introduces suspension of rankings as step one in a graded framework, not like the 2014 tips, which primarily relied on monetary penalties and cancellation. The brand new coverage, nevertheless, nonetheless contains monetary penalties for repeated violations.
The coverage additionally updates privateness necessities by linking them to the Digital Private Information Safety Act, 2023, introduced into drive by notified guidelines in February 2026. “Privateness of the metered houses should be maintained. All stakeholders should develop mechanism to adjust to the Digital Private Information Safety (DPDP) Act, 2023 and Guidelines made thereunder,” mentioned the coverage.
On complaints, as an alternative of mandating name centres, the brand new guidelines say complaints should be acknowledged inside three days and resolved inside 10 days. Companies should appoint a nodal officer to resolve complaints and set up an Appellate Authority for escalated disputes.
