BARC India has extended its people meter panel to measure streaming on TV screens — using the same BAR-O-Meters that measure linear TV. Here's what it covers and what it doesn't:
- Covered: TV-screen streaming on participating platforms. Hotstar, SonyLIV, and Zee5 (broadcast-affiliated platforms) participate in BARC streaming measurement. Data is panel-based and reported weekly.
- Not covered: JioCinema (reports its own numbers, not BARC-verified), YouTube (self-reported), Netflix and Prime Video (limited participation). These platforms together account for a large share of India CTV viewing.
- Mobile and desktop not measured: BARC streaming covers only TV-screen viewing. Mobile viewing on the same platform is not in scope.
- What it's good for: Relative rankings (which platform is bigger than another), trend tracking, and content performance on participating platforms.
- What it can't do: Provide a complete total India CTV audience figure, verify ad delivery, or cover the platforms advertisers most care about (JioCinema IPL, YouTube).
Bottom line: BARC streaming is a useful directional input but not a complete measurement currency for India CTV. Most CTV advertisers rely on platform-reported data for campaign evaluation and treat BARC streaming data as supplementary context.
Full guide
For a complete explanation, read: BARC streaming measurement: how India measures OTT and CTV viewing