The Bravo Network has long had a hold on fashion fans with projects that reach out to creative communities. Project Runway made the network the channel to watch if you were interested in the fashion industry.

Now it seems Lifetime, home to melodramatic made-for-tv movies for housewives, is surely hoping for the same cache as they make a play for the show.

A few days ago the switch seemed to be a done deal with The Weinstein Company, who owns Project Runway, inking a five-year deal with the women’s network. It’s rumored that the reason for the change was simple dollars and sense, with Lifetime offering considerably more money for the popular reality program.

But, NBC Universal, who owns Bravo, isn’t letting the show go that easily. They claim they reserve the right to counter another network’s offer with one of their own before the Weinsteins can make a final deal.

NBC lawsuit claims that The Weinstein Company finalized the deal with Lifetime on Feb. 7, yet continued to negotiate with NBC Universal for two more months.

“NBC Universal has continuing rights related to Project Runway, including a right of first refusal to future cycles of the series, which the Weinstein Company unfortunately has refused to honor,” a statement released by the network said.

Weinstein lawyers got their claws out after that one: “”We believe that this lawsuit is without merit. [It] is always unfortunate when parties try to win in court what they have lost in the marketplace,” they said.

Should the deal with Lifetime hold, season six of Project Runway would debut in November.

[Images: BravoTV; Source]