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In a significant move set to impact Indian broadcast media measurement, the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) India has announced it will no longer release data on a 4-week rolling average basis. Starting June 26, 2025, BARC will provide weekly unrolled viewership estimates, marking a major shift in how television ratings are reported.

The transition is expected to benefit news channels and broadcasters by offering a more immediate and transparent view of audience behaviour. According to BARC’s latest advisory, the new methodology will allow advertisers and content owners to track channel performance on a weekly basis, enabling quicker decision-making and sharper insights into viewer trends.

The four-week rolling average was initially implemented when the ratings for the news genre were resumed on March 17, 2022, after a 17-month hiatus prompted by the alleged TRP scam. However, a group of broadcasters had sought unrolled data from BARC. The ratings agency then approached MIB for its permission.

An email advisory sent to BARC subscribers, accessed by Storyboard18, reads:

"Pursuant to the decision of the BARC India Board, and after getting all other necessary clearances, we are pleased to announce that effective Week 24’25 (Sat 14th June to Fri 20th June 2025), we will no longer release data on a 4-week rolling average basis. Viewership estimates of all genres, starting 26th June 2025, will be reported weekly without rolling."

The advisory also cautioned stakeholders:

"Please be advised that with this switch, caution should be drawn when trending ADRS (Rolled Data) based data with unrolled data, given the differences in the methodology and estimates."

"The special YUMI licence issued to concerned broadcasters for accessing unrolled data of their own channels, will continue to be operative to enable them to access their historical data."

"However, unrolled data of channels which was not released to the ecosystem during the "rolled data period" (Week 10’22 to Week 23’25), would not be retrospectively made available to subscribers." 

To support broadcasters during the transition, the YUMI licence issued for accessing channel-specific unrolled data will remain active, ensuring continuity in access to historical records. However, BARC clarified that data from channels not released during the “rolled data period” (Week 10’22 to Week 23’25) will not be retrospectively provided.

A senior broadcaster welcomed the move, calling it a long-awaited step. “This long-pending demand has been finally addressed by BARC. This will help understand the news channel viewership in entirety, unlike earlier, when the 4-week rolling average data had complexities,” the broadcaster told Storyboard18.

The industry has widely interpreted the shift as a positive development that enhances the credibility, accountability, and agility of TV viewership metrics in India.

Storyboard18 has reached out to BARC for an official comment. This article will be updated if a statement is received.



From June 26, BARC to release weekly unrolled viewership data

The recent military offensive Operation Sindoor has catapulted TV news viewership to unprecedented heights. According to Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) India, a staggering 507 million viewers tuned into news broadcasts during Week 18 (May 3rd to 9th, 2025), marking the highest weekly news audience in recent history.

The military operation, executed by the Indian Armed Forces against terror hubs in Pakistan, captivated the nation, with dramatic developments unfolding over three key days—May 7th, 8th, and 9th. During this period, the news genre surged to command 16% of total TV viewership, a dramatic increase from its usual 6%.

Week 18 of 2025 not only saw a spike in general viewership but also set a new benchmark for Hindi news channels, which recorded the highest Gross Rating Points (GRPs) ever at 254. This surpasses previous high-engagement events such as the 2024 Lok Sabha election results (235 GRPs) and the 2022 state election results (211 GRPs).

Hindi news channels reported an Average Time Spent (ATS) of 60 minutes—up 67% compared to the weeks preceding the Pahalgam terror attack. Hindi news share in the Hindi Speaking Market (HSM) jumped from 3% to 13% between Wednesday and Friday of Week 18. For viewers aged 15 and above, the share rose from 4% to 15%, even surpassing the viewership levels seen during the 2016 surgical strikes.

Daily tune-ins to Hindi news skyrocketed during the critical days, increasing from 73 million to an astonishing 142 million viewers.

<strong>Government Briefings Draw Massive Audiences</strong>

Key briefings by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) drove significant spikes in viewership. BARC India reported the following surges compared to pre-Pahalgam weeks:

Wednesday (10:36–11:00 AM): +509%

Thursday (5:45–6:25 PM): +125%

Friday (5:33–5:55 PM): +242%

One of the most significant findings was the influx of new viewers. Around 65 million individuals who had not watched Hindi news in the past month tuned in during Operation Sindoor week, highlighting the operation's broad national impact and the public's reliance on television news for real-time updates.

Operation Sindoor drives record TV news viewership: 507 million tuned in, 65 million new viewers

The Delhi High Court has granted a relief to the Indian Broadcasting and Digital Foundation (IBDF),by granting an exemption from tax payments under Sections 11 and 12 of the Income Tax Act, 1961. These provisions govern the taxation of income derived from property held in trust for charitable or religious purposes.

Section 11 allows for the exemption of income from property held for charitable or religious purposes, provided that such income is used for the trust’s objectives and investments are made in the prescribed modes under Section 11(5) of the Act. Section 12 extends this exemption to voluntary contributions received by a trust or institution, treating them as income derived from property held under trust.

The benefits under Sections 11 and 12 are subject to the conditions outlined in Section 13 of the Act, which specifies situations in which exemptions may be denied, particularly for investments that do not comply with the modes specified under Section 11(5). A division bench comprising Justices Vibhu Bakhru and Dr. Swarana Kanta Sharma reviewed the Department's appeal against an ITAT ruling that allowed IBDF to claim the exemption.

The Assessing Officer (AO) had denied IBDF’s claim under Sections 11 and 12 after the organization purchased shares in BARC worth ₹15 lakh and allocated ₹45 lakh as share application money.

According to the AO, these transactions constituted "investments" made in violation of Section 11(5).

IBDF argued that its allocation of funds toward BARC’s equity capital was directly aligned with its objectives and complied with directives from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, as well as recommendations from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI).

IBDF further asserted that the funds were deployed solely to fulfill its objectives and not to generate income. Therefore, it should be classified as an application of income rather than an investment.

The ITAT found that both IBDF and BARC are not-for-profit entities, and BARC’s Memorandum of Association explicitly prohibits the distribution of dividends or surplus to shareholders, reinforcing the fact that the funds were used strictly for charitable purposes.

Recognizing the validity of this reasoning, the High Court ruled:

“BARC, being a company registered under Section 25 of the Companies Act, is legally prohibited from distributing any dividends or profits to its shareholders. Additionally, in the event of liquidation, BARC’s Memorandum of Association mandates that any surplus must be transferred to another company registered under Section 25 of the Companies Act with similar objectives, thereby eliminating any possibility of personal gain or profit for the Assessee from the deployment of funds.”

Emphasizing that an essential feature of an investment is the intent to generate a return, profit, or income, the High Court further stated:

“The application of funds by the Assessee in BARC does not qualify as an ‘investment’ under Section 11(5), read with Section 13(1)(d) of the Act, as the deployment was not intended to yield income, profit, or return, but was made in compliance with a statutory and regulatory obligation to further the Assessee’s charitable objectives.”

The High Court also upheld IBDF’s argument that its role in the formation and promotion of BARC was neither voluntary nor discretionary but was mandated by the Central government’s policy, as supported by recommendations from both TRAI and the Standing Committee of Parliament.

As a result, the appeal was dismissed, and IBDF was granted exemption under Sections 11 and 12 of the Act.

Delhi HC grants tax exemption to Indian Broadcasting & Digital Foundation

The Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) is all geared up to launch its first-ever measurement survey for Connected TV (CTV) consumption in India. BARC has identified the premium households and will be holding a series of meetings with the OTT players. The premium panels will be installed by April 2025. 

The BARC  had ordered over 5,000 premium panels to measure CTV consumption in the country. The BARC was facing a roadblock in identifying premium households. A source close to the developments said, “BARC has identified premium households and will install the panels by April.” 

Storyboard18 had first reported about BARC's plan for a unified measurement system. 

The source said, “The major challenge is around the participation of OTT platforms for the measurement but BARC is adamant to go ahead with the plan.”

BARC has constantly been trying to make TV audience measurement more holistic. They already have close to 55000 home panels after adding 25000 new panel homes to their existing roster.

With the expanded measurement, BARC can comprehensively understand linear TV and CTV consumption trends and offer deeper insights into audience engagement across platforms, which will benefit the advertising ecosystem.

Connected TV is the fast- emerging market for advertising and hence BARC intends to measure it for a long time. According to GroupM’s ' This Year Next Year ' report, India's connected TV advertising spends are forecasted to grow at a CAGR rate of 47% by 2027, indicating substantial accelerated growth in advertising spend.

Back in 2019, BARC had launched PrimaVU to measure premium homes viewership patterns. Through PrimaVU, BARC India also introduced the industry first concept of 'viewing minutes' which was basically the sum of all individuals watching an event based on the time spent by them. PrimaVU was a separate product and not part of the currency panel measurement.

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/interviews/barc-to-launch-new-meters-to-measure-premium-households-exclusive-29269.htm">Read more: BARC to launch new meters to measure premium households: EXCLUSIVE</a>


BARC identifies premium households, panels to be installed by April 2025

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has thrown a potential curveball at the broadcasting ecosystem in their latest consultation paper on the National Broadcasting Policy 2024. The paper, released on April 2nd, 2024, raises concerns about the current system's reliance on a single provider, the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC).


“BARC being the sole provider of rating services in India, raises concerns about market behaviour, service quality, and cost inefficiencies, highlighting the need for additional players to encourage healthy competition. Introducing more agencies not only fosters competition but also has the potential to improve service quality and reduce costs, as dependency on a single agency often lack the drive to innovate and adapt to industry demands. Competition acts as a catalyst for innovation, prompting BARC and other entities to adopt new technologies and methodologies, ensuring continuous evolution in line with media landscape changes,” read an excerpt from the consultation paper.


According to TRAI, a competitive environment will as a natural deterrent against rating manipulation, as multiple agencies vie for accuracy and credibility. 


The consultation paper also suggests that independence from industry stakeholders is crucial for ensuring a neutral and unbiased approach to audience measurement.




“When measurement agencies are free from industry affiliations or influences, the process remains objective, transparent, and untainted by external pressures, enhancing credibility and trustworthiness,” the paper said. 


It is important to note here, BARC India is a joint industry body founded by stakeholder bodies that represent broadcasters, advertisers, and advertising and media agencies. 


TRAI mentions that in its recommendations on ‘Review of Television Audience Measurement and Rating System in India’ dated 28.04.2020 they had said that the rating agency should be mandated to increase the sample size from the existing 44,000 to 60,000 by the end of 2020, and 1,00,000 by the end of 2022 using the existing technology. However, according to them, the BARC India is operating with a panel size of only 55,000 households. 


“This sample size falls short of accurately representing the vast landscape of 182 million TV
households in the country with diverse viewing preferences. Moreover, with an anticipated growth in TV households expected to reach 202 million by 2026, the existing panel size is poised to become even more inadequate. Therefore, there's a need to establish a roadmap for incrementally expanding the sample size to meet the evolving landscape
of television viewership,” the paper said. 


A rating agency ideally according to TRAI should also include measurement beyond linear TV. 


“In the dynamic realm of modern media consumption, integrating data from non-linear sources is essential for a comprehensive television audience measurement system. Viewers also turning to on- demand content via OTT services and streaming platforms, in addition to traditional linear TV metrics. However, BARC’s present audience measurement mechanism incorporates data from linear television only,” the paper said.


“Cross-platform content consumption, enabled by seamless transitions between linear TV and OTT, adds complexity, necessitating a system that adeptly captures cross-device viewing habits. Advertisers seek unified data to optimize campaigns across platforms, leveraging insights to tailor
strategies effectively,” it added. 



TRAI proposes multiple broadcast ratings agencies in draft National Broadcasting Policy for fairer competition and transparency




The Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC), has taken significant strides in enhancing its meter count for measuring TV audiences. According to reports, BARC has increased its meter count to 59,000 and is actively working towards achieving a target of 65,000 in the near future.

Utilizing Bar-O-meters to collect crucial TV viewership data, BARC is consistently adding new meters on a monthly basis to meet its goal. This expansion reflects BARC's commitment to providing comprehensive and accurate insights into the television viewership landscape in India.

In a previous interview with Storyboard18, Shashi Sinha, chairman of BARC India had said, “The government has clear guidelines that say that panel size shall be increased by 10,000 every year.We are in sync with that.”

Talking on how increasing panel homes help he had said, “BARC is a very robust currency but there are certain smaller segments like the news genre where the sample is very small so the chances of variations are very high and increasing the panel homes reduces that.This kind of sample size reduces infiltrations of any sort.”

A lot of people do not know about another rule that the guidelines from the ministry highlights. The rule says 25 percent of the panel homes shall be rotated every year. 

“The rotation is to be done in such a manner that older panel homes are removed first while maintaining the representativeness of the panel. This rotation is expected to be achieved in a staggered manner by rotating panel homes every month. All of this helps in better and fairer measurement of data,” he said. 

BARC boosts TV meter count to 59,000

The longstanding debate on the rolling and unrolling of data for news channel viewership may be nearing resolution as the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) board gears up for a crucial meeting with officials from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) on December 19.

People close to the development said there are two focal points for the upcoming discussion. First on the agenda is the unrolling of data, a move that would grant broadcasters access to weekly viewership data for the news genre. The second item slated for deliberation is the potential expansion of panel homes.

Towards the end of November, the MIB allowed BARC to discard the four-week rolling average data system for news ratings. Initially implemented after a 17-month hiatus due to the alleged TRP scam the move was opposed by some broadcasters. Soon after, MIB urged BARC to maintain the status quo, promptly splitting the stakeholders in the broadcasting industry into.

This split stakeholders in the broadcasting industry into two camps, those favouring weekly data and those supporting the four-week rolling data.

The upcoming meeting is anticipated to see a resolution from the MIB.

As for increasing panel homes, BARC recently increased the sample size by about 25,000 and presently has a 55000 homes panel. They are also committed to add more as per government guidelines.

In an earlier interview with Storyboard18, Shashi Sinha, chairman of BARC India had explained how it works.


“To start with, BARC is a very robust currency but there are certain smaller segments like the news genre where the sample is very small so the chances of variations are very high and increasing the panel homes reduces that. This kind of sample size reduces infiltrations of any sort,” he had said.

There is another rule in the guidelines issued by the ministry that says 25 percent of the panel homes should be rotated every year. The rotation is to be done such that older panel homes are removed first while maintaining the representativeness of the panel. This rotation is expected to be achieved in a staggered manner by rotating panel homes every month. All of this helps in better and fairer measurement of data.

Debate on news data may soon conclude as BARC meets MIB on Dec 19

In the ongoing debate over weekly data versus four-week rolling averages from BARC (Broadcast Audience Research Council) for the news genre, stakeholder opinion leans towards weekly data. Experts argue that the four-week rolling average is unfair, potentially undermining the recognition of channels that excel in a specific week compared to their performance four weeks back.


The debate on data metrics for the news genre has resurfaced after the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) gave a go ahead last week to unroll BARC data. Cut to the following week, the ministry has again deferred the plan for giving broadcasters in the niche genres access to weekly data. 


This dispute reflects broader challenges in the broadcasting industry, where the reliance on ad revenue faces scrutiny, especially for niche channels amid the increasing influence of Big Tech. 

But how?

“The healthy way to grow in the broadcasting industry is to combine subscription and ad revenue. However, in India, the reluctance to pay for content limits this model, leaving ad revenue as the primary driving force. With the entry of Big Tech companies, this model faces a huge roadblock for niche channels, particularly in the news genre. Linear channels are now competing for a shrinking ad pie. Now those benefiting from the four-week rolling average data system resist the introduction of new metrics, causing protests against the unrolling of BARC data,” said a domain expert on conditions of anonymity. 


Why the push for weekly data?


Barring the broadcasters who are pushing the ministry to rethink their decision of bringing back unrolled data, the news fraternity is united in their stance on the issue.


"The prevailing norm is weekly data, a standard model across industries and genres. Applying a rolling average to news is questionable. For instance, when analysing events like India not winning the World Cup, ratings and popularity in a specific week would be very high. However, when this week's popularity is averaged with weeks-old viewership data from matches against New Zealand or other countries, the significance of the current week diminishes,” another domain expert explained.


While the industry grapples with finding a balanced measurement system and addressing  concerns of bias and anomalies prompting resistance to changes in BARC data protocols, the problem of under-representation of niche genres remains.

 
Another subject matter expert emphasised the importance of maintaining proportionally representative sampling, clarifying that merely increasing the sample size won't address the issue. 


“Interestingly, in many Western markets, ratings for niche genres are reported monthly or even once in six months to mitigate fluctuations stemming from small sample sizes. The introduction of rolling averages in this context eliminated such fluctuations,” they said.


Even with the four week rolling average broadcasters had access to unrolled data of their own channels. “Broadcasters always had the option of using these private data for performance analysis and ad rate negotiations,” the expert said. 


The four-week rolling average was initially implemented upon the resumption of news genre ratings after a 17-month hiatus prompted by the alleged BARC TRP scam.
Ratings for the news genre recommenced on March 17 of the previous year, as per the directive of MIB secretary Apurva Chandra.




Debating BARC data for news: Why are stakeholders leaning towards weekly metrics

News18 India has done it again. With a 14.3% market share, the channel is again in the number one position in the HSM market in the Week 34-Week 37 period. The market share has also shown growth between Week 33 and Week 37. Between Week 33 and 36, News18 India had a market share of 14.1%.

Competition numbers are still way behind that of News18 India. TV9 Bharatvarsh, Aaj Tak, India TV and Republic Bharat clocked a market share of 11.7%, 11.4%, 11.1% and 10.5% respectively in Week 34-37. In fact, Aaj Tak and Republic Bharat also showed a drop in market share between Week 33-Week 37.  

<img src="https://images.storyboard18.com/storyboard18/WhatsApp-Image-2022-09-22-at-12.12.19-PM.jpeg" alt="" width="412" height="341" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-2198" />

 In the 1800-2400hrs, TG 15+ HSM (Week 37, All days) market, News18 had a 14.8% market share. The others in the top five in order of rankings were TV Bharatvarsh, Republic Bharat, India TV and Aaj Tak. The channels had market shares of 12.1%, 11.7%, 11.7% and 11.5% respectively.  

<img src="https://images.storyboard18.com/storyboard18/WhatsApp-Image-2022-09-22-at-12.12.19-PM-1.jpeg" alt="" width="931" height="477" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-2200" />

 In terms of cumulative reach too, News18 India topped the charts. In the HSM- Urban + Rural, the channel’s reach touched 88447000, way above the second ranking channel TV9 Bharatvarsh that stood at 67914000.Aaj Tak, India TV and Republic Bharat were the other channels in the top five list.

<img src="https://images.storyboard18.com/storyboard18/WhatsApp-Image-2022-09-22-at-12.12.19-PM-2.jpeg" alt="" width="960" height="1024" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-2199" />

The return of ratings has been a big relief for the industry, experts said.

“It always helps to have the measurement mechanism for decision making. Ratings form the basis on which decisions on channel selection and spends are made,” said Amol Dighe, CEO, Investments and Business Development, Madison Media, in a separate interview with Storyboard18 as part of our Media Mavens series.

Dighe says they saw a change in the pecking order of news channels with the return of the ratings in the genre. “ Some channels dropped in ratings while some channels saw an increase in their ratings. We are still seeing a fluctuation. As buyers, this needs to be keenly watched and deals will be dynamic till this settles down,” he adds.

News18 India leads the show yet again

News18 India is at an all-time high when it comes to market share. As per the latest BARC data, News18’s average market share in the HSM-Urban + Rural Market stands at 14.1% between week 33 and week 36. Others in the top five list in the same category are far behind.  Aaj Tak, TV9 Bharatvarsh, India TV and Republic Bharat clocked a market share of 11.8%, 11.5%, 11% and 10.6% respectively in the same period.

<img src="https://images.storyboard18.com/storyboard18/g2.png" alt="" width="375" height="375" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-2060" />

The network’s English offering, CNN News18, has also been on a growth trajectory ever since BARC ratings in the news genre resumed in March this year. In the All India (Urban + Rural), AB15+ category, CNN News18 saw a 2.2% jump in their average market share between the periods of week 33-35 and week 33- 36. The channel holds a 33.4% market share, leaving behind Republic TV at 25.9%, Times Now at 22.5% and India Today Television at 10.0%.

<img src="https://images.storyboard18.com/storyboard18/h2.png" alt="" width="439" height="260" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-2061" />

While ratings have brought more perspective for marketers interested in the genre, investments in news never stopped, said Jai Lala, Chief Executive Officer, Zenith in a separate interview with Storyboard18 as part of our Media Mavens series. Lala says there is a school of marketer that believes in perception planning but there is another group that swear by GRPs and TRPs. 

“It's a complete scientific way of planning. These channels go completely by the BARC data. So basically it is data-driven planning. Either way the good part is investments in news never went off the charts and it continues to be an important genre for advertisers,” Lala said.

Lala also highlights the fact that shuffling of rankings have led to change in ad rates too. “Channels that fell from the top ratings had a hard time holding on to the rates they sold inventory for before the blackout period and channels that climbed the chart obviously had new rates,” he said.

