Court Blocks Runway’s Move to Lifetime

NEW YORK, September 29: A
New York State Supreme Court Judge has granted a preliminary injunction
preventing The Weinstein Company from taking Bravo’s reality hit Project
Runway to the Lifetime network.

In April, TWC announced a
five-year deal to move Project Runway to Lifetime beginning in its sixth season. The female-skewing cable
network was due to launch the show in January, and is said to have built much
of its winter schedule around the critically acclaimed series. As soon as the
deal was announced, NBC Universal went to court claiming its rights to the
show. At the time, an NBCU statement said that the company had “a right of
first refusal to future cycles of the series, which The Weinstein Company
unfortunately has refused to honor.” TWC, meanwhile, asserted that NBCU had
declined to compete for the rights to renew the series.

Judge Richard B. Lowe III
ruled in NBCU’s favor, noting that the company had not been given a last
opportunity to match the terms of the Lifetime deal. All parties are due to convene
October 15 to set a trial date.

An NBC Universal statement
noted: “The overwhelming evidence demonstrated that The Weinstein Company
violated NBC Universal's right of first refusal to future cycles of Project
Runway.”

The Weinstein Company said
in its statement on Friday: "We are glad that the court held that NBC
Universal cannot exhibit the program on Bravo and that court required NBC
Universal to post a minimum $20 million bond. Obviously we will be appealing
and remain committed to our partners."

Lifetime said in a
statement: “We are disappointed with the court’s decision to grant the
preliminary injunction against the Weinstein Company. It’s unfortunate that the
people hurt most by this ongoing dispute are the loyal fans of Project
Runway. In the meantime Lifetime
will pursue all measures to uphold its valid and binding agreement reached with
The Weinstein Company for season six of Project Runway.”

—By Mansha Daswani