Crown Media Family Networks, whose media brands include Hallmark Channel, last week signed a measurement deal with iSpot.tv.

The challenge to that effort comes from the networks who have begun to create their own audience-measurement efforts using rivals such as iSpot, ComScore and VideoAmp, in hopes that advertisers will start moving some portion of their media buys to be graded by their alternatives.

The British Columbia-based artist’s viral super smash hit video also amassed over 1.1 million engagements. That catapulted her Facebook page into Canada’s top 10 ranks for the People and Blogs category (Source: Tubular Labs). The success of the video resulted in a hearty 30% pop in Soby’s Facebook following over the last six months.

During the big fourth-quarter season of holiday programming -- where Hallmark Channel typically sees soaring viewership -- data from iSpot.tv showed Hallmark Channel delivering the most household ad impressions of any cable network on TV, with 5.26% of 90.6 billion verified ad deliveries.

“Crown Media now has access to evidence for how much reach and attention it delivers advertisers and can use this information to foster much more compelling, fact-based discussions with agencies and brand partners than if it were simply trying to tell a program ratings story,” said Stuart Schwartzapfel, senior VP of media partnerships. “This deal is a great example of how incorporating modern measurement can be a game changer for the buy and sell side virtually over night.”

Crown Media Family Networks—which includes Hallmark Channel—is the latest company to tap iSpot.tv as its newest ad-measurement partner. But unlike several of its peers, Crown Media isn’t looking for alternative currencies to Nielsen. The deal will allow iSpot to measure creative performance across Crown Media cable networks Hallmark Channel, Hallmark Movies & Mysteries and Hallmark Drama.

In addition, programmers are continuing to partner with Nielsen alternatives in evaluating their capabilities. These include conducting pilot studies. Earlier today, iSpot.TV announced they will be conducting a pilot study with Crown Media Family Networks. Crown Media is parent company to The Hallmark Channel and their sister cable networks. Previously, NBCU and WarnerMedia made similar agreements with iSpot.TV. Hallmark Channel is one of a handful of cable networks that has been thriving in this era of cord-cutting and streaming video. Using Nielsen data, in 2021, Hallmark Channel averaged 1.12 million prime time viewers ranking fifth among all cable networks. In 2015 the Hallmark Channel had averaged 910,000 primetime viewers ranking 22nd overall.

Every weekday we bring you the Ad Age/iSpot Hot Spots, new commercials tracked by iSpot.tv, the always-on TV ad measurement and attribution company. (Scroll down to watch them all.) A few highlights: Burger King hypes its new Whopper Melt. Ryan Reynolds and his “The Adam Project” co-star Walker Scobell help promote Mint Mobile’s current half-price deal. (See also: “Ryan Reynolds’ influence may have gone too far—all the way to an ad for Kraft Mac & Cheese,” from Ad Age’s Parker Herren.) And longtime Capital One pitchmen Samuel L. Jackson, Spike Lee and Charles Barkley star in two new spots—part of a continuing series of March Madness–themed commercials for the banking brand.

After a brief break, NBC returns to the top of the Promo Mojo ranker with new reality dating show, The Courtship, in the week ended March 6, while last week’s chart-topper, ABC’s American Idol, drops out of the top five. Brief by Promax has partnered with Broadcasting & Cable and iSpot.tv on weekly chart Promo Mojo, offering data revealing the week’s top-five promos ranked by TV ad impressions. This is the programming networks have been promoting most heavily to drive tune-in.

B+C has partnered with always-on TV ad measurement and attribution company iSpot.tv to bring you a weekly chart we call Promo Mojo: exclusive data showing the top five TV promos ranked by ad impressions. Our data covers the seven-day period through March 6.

Reggie Miller is back promoting Wendy's during March Madness, notes Ad Age. Data from iSpot.tv shows Wendy's was the 15th highest spender on TV ads during the men's event across CBS, truTV, TBS and TNT ($18.7 million). The QSR ranked No. 11 in terms of ad spend during the women's tourney across ABC, ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN ($145,179).

Every weekday we bring you the Ad Age/iSpot Hot Spots, new commercials tracked by iSpot.tv, the always-on TV ad measurement and attribution company. (Scroll down to watch them all.) A few highlights: Toyota calls attention to the partnership between its Toyota Racing Development division and the U.S. Paralympics Alpine Ski Team to develop and launch the Toyota Sit-Ski. Sling shows off what it calls its Fan Freak-Out Zone, a (fictional) facility where basketball fans can “let it all out.” And Old Navy serves up a fresh 30-second TV cut of its current TikTok-inspired spot. (Ad Age’s Alexandra Jardine has the backstory—and the 60-second version: “A TikTok post inspired Old Navy’s new commercial.”)

WarnerMedia is working with Comscore, iSpot.tv and VideoAmp as it tests alternative methods of measuring TV ad performance across platforms. Paramount (formerly ViacomCBS) and Dentsu have partnered on VideoAmp data trials. NBCUniversal set iSpot.tv as its first certified measurement partner, teaming up Q1 currency tests across its One Platform ad offering, including the Winter Olympics and Super Bowl.

Last year, iSpot.tv said, the entire tournament was estimated to pull in $1.13 billion in advertising on CBS/Turner Networks -- coming from 10,262 airings, resulting in 21.2 billion impressions. Major advertisers included AT&T, Geico, Capital One, and Samsung Mobile.

TV networks are doing their part, pulling in all sorts of new measurement from a number of non-Nielsen companies. Some -- like Disney Advertising, NBCUniversal, Paramount Global and WarnerMedia -- are either doing a number of tests with media agency holding company groups -- or, in NBCUniversal's case, actually give “certified” status to measurement companies like iSpot.tv.

In the interim, TV networks are testing new waters with rival measurement vendors. NBCUniversal has tied up iSpot for a measurement trial that might encompass the company’s recent broadcasts of the Winter Olympics and the Super Bowl, as well as different programs airing in the first quarter.

After suspicions over Nielsen’s data collection, this year we are seeing an explosion in new video currencies, including:

NBCUniversal said it picked iSpot.tv as its first cross-platform Certified Measurement Partner for cross-screen video, starting with a “test-and-learn” approach for the “alternative currency” with Publicis Media this Q1.

WarnerMedia selected iSpot.tv, VideoAmp and Comscore to do the same.

FedEx declined to disclose how much it spent on its recruitment ad effort, but media-measurement firm iSpot.tv estimates FedEx has spent roughly $24 million to air its TV ad as of last month.

Every weekday we bring you the Ad Age/iSpot Hot Spots, new commercials tracked by iSpot.tv, the always-on TV ad measurement and attribution company. (Scroll down to watch them all.)

A few highlights: A bearded dragon named Iggy stars in a spot for the three-row Buick Enclave SUV. Olympic gold medalists Katie Ledecky and Michael Andrew help hype TYR’s Venzo line of swimwear. And Disney+ celebrates the “effortless, relentless, fearless” female characters in the series and movies it streams. (ICYMI: “Disney+ streaming service to offer low-cost version with ads,” from Bloomberg News via Ad Age.)