TV reach stood at 732 million and weekly impressions totalled 27.1 billion during the June quarter till the 24th week of the year, according to Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) data for the All India 2+ years audience. A year ago, weekly reach and impressions stood at 748 million and 28.4 billion, respectively.
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BARC released ratings for the April-June quarter only till the 24th week and ratings have been withheld since then following an information and broadcasting ministry directive. The ministry has asked BARC to withhold ratings until it receives registration. The TV audience measurement body’s registration expired in July last year.
According to industry data sourced by ET, TV free commercial time (FCT) consumption fell to a three-year low in July 2026, compared with July 2025 and 2024, amid the headwinds facing the industry. FCT consumption in both Hindi-speaking markets and southern India declined 10-12%. For individual TV genres such as Hindi, Kannada and Malayalam general entertainment channels (GECs), the drop was 20-24%, highlighting the challenges faced by TV broadcasters.
Industry estimates point to a 4-7% decline in the ad revenue of TV news channels, with Hindi news channels recording a sharper decline.
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The TRP blackout is impacting the TV broadcasting ecosystem, said a senior broadcast executive, who did not wish to be identified.