'Project Runway' Off To Best Start In Series History

Four weeks into its sixth season, Project Runway is strutting the biggest ratings in the series' history for Lifetime Television.

The competition series ranks as its most-watched season to date among viewers, women 18+ and 25 to 54, and women and adults 18 to 49, according to Nielsen Media Research data.

During its current campaign from Aug. 20 through Sept. 10, Lifetime has averaged 3.5 million viewers with the four Project Runway premieres, up 14% from the 3.07 million Bravo recorded during the first four episodes of the fifth campaign, from July 16 through Aug. 6, 2008.

Among women 18+, Lifetime leads by 28% with 2.57 million, versus 2.01 million. With women 18 to 49 (1.55 million to 1.41 million) and 25 to 54 (1.51 million to 1.38 million), its advantage was 9.9% and 9.4%, respectively.

Gauged among persons 18 to 49, Lifetime counted 2.04 million of the Madison Avenue-coveted demographic, 4.6% more than Bravo's 1.95 million during its final campaign with the Heidi Klum-starrer.

During its fourth episode Sept.10, Project Runway posted a 2.6 rating among women 18 to 49 and a 2.7 with females 25 to 54. Overall, it scored a household rating of 2.7, translating into 3.12 million watchers, according to Nielsen data.