SEASON NINE DEBUT OF LIFETIME'S EMMY(R)-NOMINATED "PROJECT RUNWAY" AVERAGES 2.7 MILLION TOTAL VIEWERS, POSTING 8% PREMIERE-TO-PREMIERE GROWTH IN DEMO

LOS ANGELES, CA (July 29, 2011) - Last night's season nine premiere of Lifetime's Emmy(R) Award-nominated Project Runway averaged 2.7 million Total Viewers, posting an 8% premiere-to-premiere jump in the demo, according to Nielsen Research. The series' return also averaged 1.5 million Adults 25-54 viewers; 1.4 million Adults 18-49 viewers, 1.2 million Women 25-54 viewers and 1.1 million Women 18-49 viewers, with a 2.2 Household rating.

Leading into Project Runway's launch, the hour-long Project Runway: Road to the Runway Casting Special, which profiled this season's designers, averaged 1.5 million Total Viewers.

Online, the official Project Runway show site on myLifetime.com recorded its best season premiere day ever in unique visitors and page views, improving 19% and 95%, respectively, on the previous record from season 6. Project Runway also topped Trendrr TV's Daily Cable Top 10 Social Television Chart yesterday, recording more than double the social media conversation of any other show.

In the show's 90-minute format, Project Runway kicked off its ninth season with 20 designers - the most in the series' history - who encountered host Heidi Klum, mentor Tim Gunn and judges Michael Kors and Nina Garcia to make a case why they deserve one of the 16 coveted spots this season. As part of the winner's prize package, this season's victorious designer will receive $100,000 from L'Or�al Paris to start his/her own line, a fashion spread in Marie Claire magazine, a $50,000 technology suite by HP and Intel to create his/her own vision and run his/her business and the opportunity to design and sell an exclusive collection on Piperlime.com. The model paired with the winner of Project Runway will also appear in the designer's editorial feature in Marie Claire and receive $25,000 from L'Oreal Studio Secrets Professional.

Fans can join the conversation by following @projectrunway on Twitter and using #projectrunway.

ABOUT PROJECT RUNWAY

Hosted by supermodel and fashion maven Heidi Klum, the hit series Project Runway provides budding designers with an opportunity to launch their careers in fashion, under the watchful eye of mentor and Liz Claiborne Chief Creative Officer Tim Gunn. The water-cooler season eight of the series last year included its expansion to a 90-minute format, which led to significant season-to-season ratings growth as viewers were hungry for more drama and fashions on and off the runway, making Project Runway 2010's number one rated and most watched reality program on ad-supported cable among Women. Noted as one of Project Runway's most emotional and best seasons ever, last year saw one of the most memorable moments in the program's history with designer Mondo Guerra bravely revealing on national television he was HIV positive, having kept his status a secret for over a decade. The show recently was nominated for an Emmy Award in the Outstanding Reality-Competition Program category, won a 2011 GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Reality Program and also was nominated for a Critics' Choice Television Award in the Reality-Competition Program category.

Project Runway is produced by The Weinstein Company, Bunim-Murray Productions and Full Picture. Executive producers include Bob and Harvey Weinstein (Co-Chairmen of The Weinstein Company), Meryl Poster of The Weinstein Company, Jon Murray and Sara Rea of Bunim-Murray Productions, Heidi Klum, and Jane Cha and Desiree Gruber of Full Picture Entertainment. Barbara Schneeweiss oversees the production on behalf of The Weinstein Company. Rob Sharenow, Gena McCarthy and David Hillman of Lifetime Television also executive produce. The Weinstein Company (TWC) was created by Bob and Harvey Weinstein, the brothers who founded Miramax Films Corporation in 1979. TWC is a multi-media company that officially launched on October 1, 2005.

ABOUT LIFETIME TELEVISION

Lifetime Television is committed to offering the highest quality entertainment and information programming, and advocating a wide range of issues affecting women and their families. Lifetime Television(R), Lifetime Movie Network(R), Lifetime Real Women(R) and Lifetime Digital(TM) are part of Lifetime Entertainment Services, LLC, a subsidiary of A+E Networks. A+E Networks is a joint venture of the Disney-ABC Television Group, Hearst Corporation and NBC Universal.