#e4mBreaking:  GTPL Hathway launches TV viewership measurement framework amid ratings freeze

GTPL Hathway has started publishing television viewership data using Return Path Data (RPD) technology, introducing a platform-based audience measurement framework at a time when the publication of ratings by the industry-led measurement body remains frozen.

The cable television and broadband service provider currently has more than 10,000 RPD-enabled set-top boxes contributing to its measurement ecosystem across over 200 towns and approximately 3,000 PIN codes. It plans to expand the sample to around 50,000 households over the next few months, aiming to provide broadcasters, advertisers, media agencies and content owners with additional insights into television consumption.

The initiative is aligned with the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting's Television Rating Policy, 2026, according to the company. GTPL has also begun publishing summaries of its top-viewed television channels and set-top box-based digital advertising properties on its website.

Initial data from the framework indicates that the average household watches linear television for more than seven-and-a-half hours a day, highlighting the continued consumption of traditional television in Indian homes, the company said.

The launch comes as broadcasters and advertisers seek greater visibility into audience behaviour and campaign performance amid the ongoing disruption in the television ratings ecosystem. GTPL's initiative could provide an additional source of viewing data, although its platform-based measurement framework is distinct from an industry-wide television rating system.

Plans to expand measurement footprint

GTPL said its current measurement framework uses data from more than 10,000 RPD-enabled set-top boxes, with the sample spread across metropolitan, urban, semi-urban and rural markets.

The company plans to increase the sample to approximately 50,000 RPD-enabled households to improve geographic coverage and analytical depth. The expanded framework is intended to provide greater granularity in representing GTPL's subscriber base of more than 11 million active digital television homes and an estimated viewer base of 50 million.

The baseline study underpinning the measurement system was conducted and managed by an independent third-party research agency, GTPL said. The study uses statistical and scientific sampling principles to support representative coverage across different viewing markets.

The proposed expansion is expected to strengthen the framework's ability to capture variations in television consumption across markets, regions and demographic segments served by the operator.

However, the representativeness of the resulting estimates will depend on the sampling methodology, the composition of participating households and the statistical extrapolation used to derive audience insights beyond the measured set-top boxes.

RPD offers continuous viewing data

Return Path Data captures television viewing activity directly from compatible set-top boxes. Unlike conventional survey-based approaches that rely on reported viewing behaviour, the technology records viewing activity automatically, allowing continuous monitoring of household-level consumption.

GTPL said its system can generate insights into viewing hours, reach and impressions, audience engagement, channel affinity, market-wise performance, regional viewing behaviour, genre consumption and time-band trends. It can also track longer-term audience movements and provide information on advertising efficiency across television channels.

The company said its platform measures viewing across nearly 1,000 television channels available through its service. This includes pay television and free-to-air channels, national and regional programming, as well as satellite-delivered and platform-distributed channels.

According to GTPL, this broader channel coverage can provide visibility to smaller, niche and emerging broadcasters that may seek to understand content performance and audience discovery patterns.

The data could help broadcasters evaluate programming and scheduling decisions, while advertisers and media agencies could use the insights to assess viewing trends and inform media planning.

GTPL's website will carry broad summaries of audience trends, while the underlying measurement framework captures more detailed information for analysis, the company said.

Extends measurement to set-top box advertising

Beyond television viewership, GTPL has developed a framework to measure the performance of digital advertising properties available through its set-top boxes.

The company said these insights are derived from viewing and behavioural patterns observed in sample households and extrapolated across its wider subscriber base using statistical methodologies.

The framework translates digital property visibility into estimated impressions and average viewing time, allowing advertisers to assess engagement with advertising inventory available on the platform.

GTPL plans to offer advertisers the option of buying these digital properties against agreed digital metrics, with impressions available on a cost-per-thousand-impressions (CPM) basis, similar to buying models used by digital advertising platforms such as Google and Meta.

The move could give the operator an additional proposition for advertisers seeking measurable campaign delivery across television and set-top box-based digital environments. It also creates scope for integrating audience insights across different advertising formats within GTPL's distribution ecosystem.

The company did not disclose the commercial terms of the offering or provide a breakdown of the advertising inventory available through the framework.

Privacy safeguards and industry implications

GTPL said privacy and data security have been incorporated into the measurement system. According to the company, the framework does not collect personally identifiable subscriber information, anonymises audience data before processing and aggregates information at the household level. Automated systems are used to secure data collection and processing.

The operator said its approach combines large-scale RPD deployment, independent third-party research, statistical sampling and transparent reporting to improve access to audience insights.

For the television industry, the initiative introduces another source of platform-derived viewing information at a time when broadcasters, advertisers and agencies need reliable data to inform programming, advertising and investment decisions.

Its expansion to 50,000 households could increase the breadth of the data available from GTPL's subscriber base. However, the framework's findings will reflect the viewing behaviour captured through the operator's platform and the methodology used to extrapolate the sample, rather than automatically constituting a universal measure of television viewership across India.

The initiative's wider relevance will therefore depend on how industry stakeholders use the data, assess its methodology and incorporate it into their decision-making.

GTPL said its objective is to provide the media industry with more granular and actionable audience insights while supporting transparency and growth in India's television ecosystem.