“Project Runway” has announced that Season Six of the show will air on Lifetime, instead of their home network Bravo. This move has caused quite a stir among bloggers, fans, and especially NBC Universal who is now suing, according to Adage.com. “Project Runway” was Bravo’s highest-rated show, attracting both devoted viewers and publicity. In fact New York Daily News states “the buzz generated by ‘Runway,’ which appeals to the metropolitan fashion elite, is far greater than the show’s actual viewership.”
From a public relations perspective, the buzz and devoted viewers should have been taken into consideration when “Project Runway” owners, The Weinstein Co., decided to make such a significant move.
This decision was clearly based on one factor alone: money.
The Lifetime deal is reportedly paying one million dollars per episode, a big jump from Bravo’s $600,000.
While the network will clearly be paying more, will the advertisers? Will the sponsor relationships like Elle, Tresemme, and Saturn, that developed with “Project Runway” on the Bravo network continue to Lifetime?
Will the fans follow?
The Lifetime network does not appear to be a likely fit for “Project Runway” because their image is currently the Housewife Channel, while “Project Runway” appeals to the metropolitan fashion forward.
I feel that The Weinstein Co. did not take all concerned publics into consideration when they decided to make this move. I would have chosen a network based on the show, the fans, advertisers and sponsors, and then the paycheck in order to maintain positive public relations.
Bravo is Out. April 11, 2008
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