Indian Television Rating Point Policy 2026: an overview

Abstract

Television Rating Points (TRPs) are, in a way, a driving force for the Indian television industry. They indicate channels’ popularity, a program’s success, and advertising revenue. In India’s multi-channel culture, competition among channels often leads to a tendency to choose the easier path of sensationalism over infotainment. India has also witnessed declining content quality and manipulation among TV channels. Hence, questions about TRP credibility and transparency have become prevalent.

This study analyses the evolution of India’s TRP policy from its inception to the Television Rating Policy 2026.Television in India began in 1959 and expanded with colour broadcasting in 1982. Until the 1990s, Doordarshan held a monopoly and TRP was not an issue. Post-1991 liberalization introduced a culture and business of private channels. This intensified competition, and TRP became the primary metric for advertising. TAM Media Research pioneered audience measurement in the 1990s. But concerns over the reliability of research-based measurement led to the Government of India’s 2014 TRP guidelines. Under these guidelines, BARC was appointed as the official body. The guidelines mandated data confidentiality and household panel rotation to ensure fairness. However, over time, shifts in viewers’ habits toward mobile and OTT platforms, along with TRP-related controversies, made reforms necessary. The TV Rating Point Policy 2026 addresses these challenges. It has:

1. A) reduced the net worth requirement for rating agencies,


2. B) mandated board independence,


3. C) expanded the sample size to 120,000 homes, and


4. D) integrated data from DTH, cable, internet, and connected TV.


5. E) It has also introduced mandatory quarterly internal audits and annual third-party audits to enhance transparency.

The 2026 policy is an attempt to modernize measurement by emphasizing technology. It aims to restore credibility. While global systems such as Nielsen, BARB, and OzTAM already include cross-platform measurement, India’s earlier focus was TV-centric. Now, the 2026 policy aims to make TRP a more accurate, transparent reflection of India’s evolving media consumption.