MIB proposes removing landing-page counts from viewership data; sets an 80,000-sample floor

New Delhi: The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) has proposed sweeping amendments to the Policy Guidelines for Television Rating Agencies in India, introducing a mandatory minimum panel size of 80,000 sample homes for audience measurement. 

The move marks a significant step towards ensuring greater accuracy, transparency, and technological parity in how Indian television viewership is measured.

The draft amendment, released on Wednesday, seeks public and industry feedback within 30 days, by December 5, 2025, before final adoption. This is the first major revision to the policy since it was notified in January 2014.

Larger sample base to improve credibility

As per the new proposal, all registered television rating agencies will have to maintain a minimum panel size of 80,000 households within six months of the notification. Thereafter, the panel must grow by 10,000 homes annually until it reaches a total of 1.2 lakh households. 

The government has also allowed agencies to exceed that figure depending on their business needs.

The Ministry said the expansion aims to “enhance measurement credibility and inclusivity” by representing a more diverse cross-section of Indian audiences. This, it added, is critical in a fragmented media landscape where viewership patterns vary sharply across states, languages, and platforms.

The amendment also acknowledges the changing nature of television consumption, emphasising that ratings must be technology-neutral and capture viewership across multiple screens and connected TVs, not just traditional linear broadcasting.

Landing page viewership excluded from measurement

In a move expected to bring relief to advertisers and broadcasters seeking fairer competition, the draft proposes that viewership generated from channel landing pages will no longer count towards ratings. 

The Ministry clarified that landing pages can continue to be used “only as a marketing tool”, but the audience data derived from them must be excluded from official viewership measurement.

This change addresses long-standing concerns from industry players that certain broadcasters artificially inflated ratings by securing landing page placements on set-top boxes, giving them an unfair edge in audience metrics and ad revenue.

Stronger governance and cross-holding norms

The government has also proposed tightening ownership and governance rules to avoid conflicts of interest between broadcasters and rating agencies. Under the revised cross-holding clause, no single company or promoter, either directly or through associates or interconnected undertakings, can hold 20% or more equity in both a television rating agency and a broadcasting company.

The same restriction applies to entities holding significant stakes in more than one TV rating agency operating in the same market. Moreover, members of the board of directors of a rating company are barred from engaging in the broadcasting business.

To ensure financial sustainability and accountability, the Ministry has mandated that companies offering TV rating services must have a minimum net worth of Rs 5 crore, certified by a statutory auditor.

Self-regulation model exempted

In a key clarification, the Ministry stated that some of these eligibility conditions, such as those relating to cross-holding and net worth, will not apply to self-regulatory industry-led models, like the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC). BARC currently operates under a structure of collective governance involving broadcasters, advertisers, and media agencies.

The draft also includes several operational updates, such as requiring agencies to exclude internal employees or associated individuals from audience measurement panels to prevent bias.

With the media ecosystem expanding beyond television to include OTT and hybrid platforms, the government’s move is being viewed as a step toward creating a unified and transparent audience measurement framework.

Stakeholders and members of the public are invited to submit their comments and suggestions by December 5, 2025. 

The Ministry said that all feedback would be reviewed before the amendments are finalised and notified. Once approved, the provisions will take effect immediately and will also apply to existing registered rating agencies.