One of India’s biggest MSOs GTPL Hathway has started publishing TV channel viewership data using Return Path Data (RPD) technology. The system currently uses more than 10,000 RPD-enabled set-top boxes across around 3,000 PIN codes in India.

The company plans to expand its measurement system to around 50,000 households over the next few months.

According to a senior management person at GTPL Hathway, the initiative aims to provide broadcasters, advertisers and media agencies with better insights into TV viewing habits.

GTPL Hathway has also started publishing data on the most-viewed TV channels and digital advertising properties on its website.

The initiative comes at a time when ratings published by the industry-led body are currently frozen.

The company aims to provide additional insights into television viewing patterns among its subscribers.

The company’s initial data shows that households watch linear TV channels for more than seven and a half hours a day.

GTPL Hathway has more than 11 million active digital TV homes and an estimated viewer base of 50 million. The planned expansion to around 50,000 households via RPD is expected to increase the reach and depth of its audience measurement system.

Return Path Data or RPD is a technology that collects TV viewing information directly from enabled set-top boxes. It helps track which channels households watch and how much time they spend watching television.

The company said its system measures viewership across nearly 1,000 TV channels available on its platform, including paid, free-to-air, national and regional channels.

The data can help broadcasters understand audience preferences and make decisions about programmes and scheduling.

GTPL Hathway will also measure digital advertising properties available through its set-top boxes.

The data will provide information on advertising impressions and average viewing time. Advertisers will be able to buy advertising based on impressions through a cost-per-thousand-impressions  model.

GTPL Hathway said its audience measurement system is supported by a baseline study conducted and managed by an independent third-party research agency.

The company said it does not collect personally identifiable subscriber information and that viewing data is anonymised before processing. Data is also aggregated at the household level.

The initiative aligns with the Television Rating Policy 2026, notified by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB).

GTPL Hathway said the system aims to improve transparency and provide broadcasters, advertisers and other industry stakeholders with useful information about TV viewing trends.