iWorld
BARC launches cross-media measurement pilot with JioStar
TV ratings body tests unified framework across linear, CTV and mobile, addresses long-standing advertiser demand on 20 February 2026.
MUMBAI: India’s TV ratings system is finally catching up to the screen-hopping viewer because when audiences juggle remotes like cricket balls, measurement can’t stay stuck in the living room. The Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) has quietly begun a pilot project for cross-media measurement, marking its first structured attempt to track audiences seamlessly across linear TV, Connected TV (CTV), and mobile platforms. Multiple BARC board members confirmed the development on 20 February 2026, describing the initiative currently running with JioStar as a foundational step toward a unified industry currency.
The pilot arrives amid sharp criticism from the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (MIB), which in 2025 directed BARC to integrate CTV data into its system. MIB highlighted glaring gaps: India has roughly 230 million television households, yet BARC relies on only about 58,000 people meters, a sample representing just 0.025 per cent of total homes. The ministry also flagged BARC’s lack of tracking for smart TVs, streaming devices, and mobile apps, undermining the reliability of TRPs in a diverse, multi-screen country.
The initiative builds on JioStar’s December 2025 Cross-Screen Measurement Study with Nielsen during TATA IPL 2025, which analysed five major brands across impulse and high-consideration categories. That study demonstrated how audiences engage with live sports across linear TV, CTV, and mobile underscoring the need for total reach and incremental impact metrics.
Advertisers have welcomed BARC’s proactive move. A senior member of the Indian Society of Advertisers (anonymous) called it the right move at the right time. Consumers are fluid across screens, and measurement must reflect that reality. A credible cross-media framework will help us optimise budgets scientifically, reduce waste, and drive higher ROI.
Another brand leader added, that the move will allow marketers to identify incremental reach across platforms rather than overexposing the same audience. That improves campaign effectiveness and ensures every rupee works harder.
A broadcaster executive praised the pilot-led approach saying BARC deserves credit for stepping forward and testing this in a structured way. Reform of this scale requires collaboration, experimentation and patience.
If the pilot proves robust and expands beyond JioStar, India could move toward a single, cross-platform measurement standard potentially reshaping how billions in advertising rupees are planned and spent. In a media world where viewers rarely stay on one screen, BARC’s experiment might just be the first step toward making ratings as multi-talented as the audience they try to count.
eNews
Paisabazaar launches Credit Premier League 2.0
Nationwide campaign rewards highest credit scores with Rs 1 lakh top prize.
MUMBAI: When credit scores become a national league, even your CIBIL report starts feeling like it’s playing in the IPL and Paisabazaar has just kicked off the second season. Paisabazaar, India’s leading marketplace for financial products and the country’s largest free credit score platform, has announced the return of the Credit Premier League (CPL) 2.0, a fun, nationwide initiative to recognise and reward individuals with the highest credit scores.
Building on the success of the first edition, CPL 2.0 introduces higher rewards and broader participation. The individual(s) with the highest credit score in the country will win Rs 1 lakh, while state champions will each receive Rs 10,000. Additionally, all participants from the winning state, the one with the highest average credit score will also be rewarded.
All winnings will be credited directly to winners’ PB Wallet, allowing them to pay credit card bills, recharge mobiles, or settle utility bills seamlessly on the Paisabazaar platform.
Paisabazaar CEO Santosh Agarwal said the campaign aims to make credit awareness more engaging and mainstream. “With CPL, we are bringing together engagement, gamification and rewards to make conversations around credit scores more mainstream,” he noted. “Our focus remains on building a financially aware and credit-healthy Bharat.”
The first edition of CPL saw over 5.5 million participants, with the highest individual score touching 861. Delhi recorded the highest average credit score of 746.
Consumers can participate simply by checking their free credit score on the Paisabazaar platform or app. The CPL leaderboard and rankings will be available exclusively on the Paisabazaar App.
In a country where financial dreams are serious business, Paisabazaar has found a smart way to turn credit scores into an exciting game – because when your financial health gets rewarded, everyone wants to play.
