← Policy & Regulation-Standards & approvals (all topics)
TRP freeze / Ratings Policy 2026
What it is
The tv/ott/fm view of the ratings blackout. What began as a news-channel suspension in Mar 2026 was widened around Jul 2026 to every genre - entertainment, movies, sports, kids and infotainment - until BARC re-registers under the Television Ratings Policy 2026
General entertainment had continued to receive ratings through the earlier phase, so the extension was the point at which the freeze became universal
Impact on industries
- Entertainment broadcasters lose the feedback loop that governs commissioning - show performance, slot decisions and renewals were all judged on weekly data now unavailable
- Advertising negotiation loses its benchmark across the whole medium at once, with agencies falling back on historical rates and estimates
- Accelerates budget migration to digital and CTV, where measurement continues and targeting is verifiable - a shift that may not reverse when ratings return
- Creates space for alternative measurement, and OTT arms are less exposed since streaming performance is measured internally