New Delhi: In what could mark a pivotal shift in how India’s television viewership is measured, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) is reportedly moving toward a watermark-based mechanism to ensure that only genuine audience engagement counts in television rating points (TRPs). The proposal aims to end the long-standing practice of counting “default visibility” from landing pages as legitimate viewership — a distortion that has quietly skewed the ratings ecosystem for years.
A Move Toward Data Integrity
Every time a set-top box powers on, viewers are automatically exposed for a few seconds to a “landing page” — typically a high-visibility promotional slot purchased by broadcasters to ensure instant brand recall. While these exposures are brief and often unintended, they have historically been captured as valid viewing data, inflating TRPs and influencing advertising decisions worth thousands of crores.
The MIB’s draft amendment to the television rating policy seeks to correct this anomaly by explicitly stating that “any viewership arising out of landing pages shall not be counted in the viewership measurement.” The directive effectively restricts the use of landing pages to marketing purposes only, delinking them from audience measurement.
To enable this, the Ministry is believed to be exploring a watermark-based identification system that distinguishes between normal broadcast feeds and landing page feeds. The Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC), which uses frequency-based watermarking to measure viewership, would be able to assign distinct watermarks to landing page signals. This would allow its meters to detect and automatically exclude any viewership originating from landing pages during data processing — closing a key loophole without overhauling existing infrastructure.
According to officials aware of the discussions, the proposed framework leverages existing frequency architecture, ensuring that the solution remains technically feasible, auditable, and minimally disruptive. The watermarking process would be verifiable at the data centre level, creating a maker-checker chain among BARC, multi-system operators (MSOs), and regulators to prevent manipulation or collusion.
Strengthening Ratings Credibility
At the core of the move is the effort to restore trust in television ratings. Advertisers, who base large-scale media investments on TRP data, have long questioned the credibility of viewership influenced by landing page exposure. The proposed mechanism promises a cleaner, intent-based measurement framework — one that accurately reflects voluntary engagement rather than default tune-ins.
The reform aligns with the government’s broader shift toward data-led, precision-driven regulation, bringing television measurement closer to global standards. Once implemented, the watermark-based segregation could represent one of the most significant technical upgrades to BARC’s methodology since its inception, and a decisive step toward insulating ratings from paid distribution influence.
The Industry Divide: Regulation vs. Revenue
However, the reform comes with clear economic trade-offs. For the cable and DTH industry, landing pages have been a major revenue stream — accounting for an estimated 15–20% of total operator income. Broadcasters collectively spend around ₹250 crore annually on these slots, which typically run for 15–25 seconds and are priced variably depending on region, reach, and operator size.
Cable operators argue that delinking landing pages from TRPs could sharply erode their margins, calling the move “unfair” to an already stressed sector facing competition from free-to-air platforms and unregulated OTT services. They point out that landing pages are not only a marketing tool but also a vital monetization channel in a low-margin distribution environment.
Some within the industry question the urgency of a policy overhaul, noting that BARC had already introduced a Landing Page Algorithm (LPA) in 2020 to identify and discount forced viewing. The LPA employs seven statistical checks to differentiate genuine viewership from automatic exposure, and is fully automated. Critics of the new directive contend that this system has been functioning effectively and that a complete exclusion of landing page impressions could be excessive.
A Balancing Act for the Ecosystem
For policymakers, the challenge lies in balancing data credibility with industry viability. While the proposed watermark-based system promises greater transparency and trust in television ratings, it simultaneously threatens to undercut a crucial income source for distributors.
Regulatory clarity, however, could also usher in long-term benefits. By removing the incentive to game ratings through paid placement, the reform could promote fairer competition among broadcasters, reduce distortions in advertising spends, and encourage innovation in content and marketing strategies.
Ultimately, the MIB’s plan signals a structural shift — from a broadcast economy driven by visibility to one driven by verified engagement. As the Ministry moves toward finalising the draft amendment after consultations with advertisers and industry stakeholders, the coming months could determine how India’s television ecosystem balances measurement integrity with market economics.
