Archive · 29 Sep 2026
TV CEOs Warn Ratings Blackout Threatens India’s Ad Business
Television companies use ratings to show how many people watch their programs.
These ratings help advertisers decide where to spend money.
India’s main ratings organization, BARC, has not been able to publish ratings across television genres since July.
Its licence was not renewed under a new government policy.
Television executives say this leaves the industry without a neutral way to compare audiences.
They want the ratings system restored quickly, especially before the important Dussehra-Diwali advertising season.
BARC says it is working to expand its measurement panel and change its system.
Executives worry that advertisers may move more money from television to digital media while ratings are unavailable.
India’s television audience ratings have been unavailable across genres since July after BARC’s licence was not renewed under a new government policy.
Media executives said the lack of a common measurement currency is creating uncertainty for broadcasters and advertisers.
The Dussehra-Diwali period represents about one-third of India’s estimated Rs 38,000-crore television advertising market.
BARC says it plans to expand its panel to 80,000 metered homes by October and revise its governance and measurement framework.
Executives warned that the ratings blackout could speed the movement of advertising spending from linear television to digital platforms.
- Who
- BARC, television broadcasters, advertisers, and media executives including Punit Goenka, Gaurav Banerjee, and Rahul Kanwal.
- What
- India’s television ratings blackout is creating uncertainty and raising concerns about advertising moving from linear television to digital.
- When
- Ratings across genres have been unavailable since July; executives raised the issue at a FICCI Frames summit on Tuesday, ahead of the Dussehra-Diwali period.
- Where
- Mumbai, India.
- Why
- BARC’s licence was not renewed under the government’s new TV ratings policy, leaving the industry without a common audience-measurement benchmark.
- Affected ratings body
- Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC)
- Ratings disruption
- BARC has been unable to release ratings across genres since July.
- Planned measurement panel
- BARC says it is expanding its panel of metered homes to 80,000 by October.
- Television advertising market
- India’s estimated television advertising market is Rs 38,000 crore.
- Festive-season advertising
- The Dussehra-Diwali period accounts for approximately Rs 12,000-13,000 crore, or nearly one-third of the television advertising market.
- Industry concern
- Executives warned that the blackout could accelerate the shift of advertising money from linear television to digital.