Mumbai: The Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) has outlined a detailed operational framework for excluding landing page-driven viewership from television ratings, marking a critical step in implementing the revised TV Ratings Policy 2026 issued by the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting.
The new rules operationalise the Ministry’s directive notified on March 27, 2026, which mandates that any viewership originating from landing pages will no longer be counted in official audience measurement. While broadcasters can continue to use landing pages, they will now be treated strictly as a marketing tool rather than a ratings driver.
Passive vs Active Viewing
At the core of the new framework is a clear distinction between passive exposure and intentional viewing.
BARC clarified that when a set-top box is switched on and a channel appears automatically due to a landing page placement, that initial exposure will be excluded from ratings. Similarly, viewership from watermarked barker pages—whether static or audio-visual—will also not be counted if they are the first point of contact in a viewing session.
However, if the viewer continues watching the same channel later in the session, returns to it after browsing, or actively tunes into it, that subsequent consumption will be included in ratings data.
This approach aims to ensure that television ratings reflect deliberate audience behaviour rather than distribution-led visibility secured through commercial agreements with platform operators.
No Separate Watermarking System
BARC indicated that it will not introduce a distinct watermarking mechanism for landing pages. Instead, it will rely on existing channel watermark signals combined with detailed disclosures submitted by broadcasters.
The ratings body will map watermark data against declared landing page information—such as operator, geography, duration, placement position, and time slots—to identify and filter out ineligible viewership.
Weekly Disclosure Mandate
In a move that significantly increases compliance requirements, broadcasters will now need to submit granular weekly disclosures of all landing page and barker page placements.
For every ratings cycle (Saturday to Friday), details must be filed by 8 pm on the preceding Thursday. The disclosures must include channel name, language, operator, geographic markets, placement duration, position on the landing page, and slot-level scheduling where applicable.
BARC will facilitate these submissions through a secure portal with dedicated login credentials for each broadcaster.
Compliance Accountability Tightens
Responsibility for accurate reporting has been placed squarely on broadcasters. BARC has warned that any discrepancies—such as undeclared placements or conflicting information—could be escalated to the Ministry.
This introduces a higher level of scrutiny and regulatory oversight, reinforcing the policy’s intent to improve transparency in the ratings ecosystem.
Part of a Larger Measurement Overhaul
The landing page exclusion mechanism is part of a broader transformation of India’s audience measurement system under the 2026 policy framework. The overhaul includes expanding sample sizes, conducting annual establishment surveys, enabling cross-platform measurement across linear TV, OTT, and connected TV, and strengthening audit protocols.
BARC said it is currently upgrading its systems to align with the new requirements and will conduct a webinar for broadcaster clients on May 22, 2026, to address operational queries and explain the implementation roadmap.
With these changes, India’s television ratings system is moving decisively towards capturing genuine viewer intent—reshaping how channels, advertisers, and distribution platforms evaluate performance in an increasingly competitive media landscape.
