Include CTV viewership in audience metrics, MIB tells BARC

BARC is also currently up for registration renewal

by e4m Staff
Published: Oct 10, 2025 8:29 AM | 2 min read

The Information & Broadcasting (I&B) Ministry has directed the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) to incorporate Connected TV (CTV) viewing data into its audience measurement system, industry sources say.

MIB is believed to have told BARC that consumers increasingly access content via CTVs even while traditional TV remains relevant in many demographics.

Read e4m report on industry awaiting BARC baseline survey

Neither MIB nor BARC responded to e4m queries in this regard till the time of writing these lines.

This development comes at a time when the government is considering allowing more TV measurement agencies, amid growing criticism of BARC’s shortcomings. Officials have pointed to the council’s inability to keep up with industry changes as a key concern.

Read e4m interview with TRAI Chairman on TV measurement system

exchange4media (e4m) has consistently highlighted BARC’s outdated methods for measuring TV viewership through a series of investigative reports.

Beyond the lack of Connected TV (CTV) measurement, BARC has also failed to conduct its mandatory baseline survey for the past seven years — a fundamental gap in its data collection process. Moreover, plans to increase household panels to make ratings robust couldn’t see the light of day.

Read e4m exclusive report on Comscore teaming up with Google to launch CTV YouTube measurement in India

Notably, BARC’s currently up for registration renewal (its 10‑year term expired on July 27). The MIB’s latest directive indicates that the renewal is on the cards.

At present, BARC is India’s sole body for measuring TV viewership, covering over 600 channels. Industry stakeholders—including the Indian Society of Advertisers—have long been advocating for a cross‑media measurement framework that integrates CTV, given that the CTV ecosystem already reaches around 4 crore homes.