Ministry of Information & Broadcasting
Television Rating Policy, 2026 to Strengthen Transparency, Independence and Accountability in India's TV Audience Measurement System
New Policy Reduces Net Worth Requirement, Expands Metered Homes and Introduces Periodic Establishment Surveys
Policy Mandates Independent Audits, Cross-Holding Restrictions and Graded Penalties to Ensure Credible TV Audience Measurement
प्रविष्टि तिथि:
24 JUL 2026 3:50PM by PIB Delhi
The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (MIB) has released the TV Ratings Policy 2026, which sets out comprehensive guidelines for regulating television ratings in India. The policy defines clear standards for the registration, operation, audit, and oversight of agencies providing TV rating services, with the aim of ensuring transparency, independence and accountability in audience measurement.
The TV Rating Policy 2026 replaced the existing Guidelines for TV Rating Agencies in India dated 16th January 2014.
The major reforms introduced under the Policy include:
- Reduction of net worth criteria from Rs. 20 Crores to Rs. 5 Crores;
- Technology-neutral audience measurement across multiple platforms including connected TVs and TV channels available on OTT Platforms;
- Increased sample size by expansion of metered homes from 50,000 to 80,000;
- Periodic establishment surveys every three years;
- Exclusion of landing page in computation of viewership data;
- Annual independent audits; and
- A graded penalty framework for non-compliance.
The prescribed safeguards include cross-holding restrictions, requirement of at least 33% independent directors on the board of the agency, prohibition of consultancy or advisory activities that may create conflicts of interest, security clearance requirements, audit and transparency obligations to ensure the functional and operational independence of rating agencies.
Under this Policy, any entity in the business of television ratings in India has to comply with certain additional requirements and to register under the new Policy.
As on date, no entity is registered under the new Policy. The Television Ratings Policy, 2026 places no restriction on the number of agencies that may be registered to provide TV rating services.
This information was provided by the Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting and Parliamentary Affairs, Dr. L. Murugan, in a written reply to an Unstarred Question in the Rajya Sabha raised by Dr. John Brittas.
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Mahesh Kumar/ Vivek Vishwash
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