GTPL Hathway begins publishing TV viewership data from 10,000+ set-top boxes

Cable and broadband provider GTPL Hathway has started publishing audience viewership data for TV channels and digital advertising properties on its set-top boxes (STBs) using a return path data (RPD) framework, the company said in a statement.

The data is available on the company's website, www.gtpl.net/viewership, which lists the most-viewed channels and properties. GTPL described the initiative as the first of its kind in the industry and said it aligns with the guidelines under the Television Rating Policy 2026, notified by the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting. The move comes as ratings published by the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) remain frozen.

GTPL said the framework currently covers more than 10,000 RPD-enabled STBs across roughly 3,000 PIN codes and more than 200 towns, spanning metropolitan, urban, semi-urban and rural markets. It plans to expand the coverage to about 50,000 households over the next few months. The company has more than 11 million active digital TV homes and an estimated viewer base of 50 million, it said.


Also read | YouTube partners with IIFA for global streaming of 2027 awards; ZEE remains broadcast partner

GTPL said the framework is based on a baseline study conducted and managed by an independent third-party research agency, which it did not name in the statement. The study was designed using statistical and scientific principles to ensure representative coverage, the company said.

RPD captures actual viewing activity directly from set-top boxes rather than relying on surveys. According to GTPL, this enables continuous monitoring, greater scale and faster access to insights.

The company said no personally identifiable subscriber information is collected, data is anonymised before processing, and information is aggregated at the household level.

Initial data indicates that the average household watches linear TV channels for more than 7½ hours a day, GTPL said.

The framework measures viewing across nearly 1,000 channels on its platform, including pay and free-to-air, national and regional, and satellite-delivered and platform-distributed channels. The company said the system would give new and niche channels immediate visibility into audience demand.

GTPL said its website would display only a broad summary, while the underlying data covers viewing hours, reach and impressions, engagement, channel affinity, market-wise and regional trends, genre consumption, time-band analysis and advertising efficiency.

Also read | Netflix, Hoichoi partner to expand Bengali content across multiple languages

The company has also developed a framework to measure digital advertising properties on its STBs. The figures are derived from sample households and extrapolated to the wider subscriber base. They are expressed as impressions, along with average viewing time. Advertisers will be able to buy advertising on a cost-per-thousand-impressions (CPM) basis, similar to the models used by platforms such as Google and Meta, GTPL said.