Fox Nation to Air Promos for New Dating Show on ABC Local Stations

Fox Nation plans to run television promos for its new dating series 'The Vow' in local ad slots on several ABC stations across roughly a dozen markets. The show is led by Chris Harrison, who previously hosted the ABC hit 'The Bachelor' for 25 seasons. The targeted markets include New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Dallas. These promos are expected to air during primetime shows like 'Grey's Anatomy'. Warner Bros. Television, which produces 'The Bachelor', sent a cease-and-desist letter to the Fox News Media streaming service on September 18. The letter called for Fox to stop making visual and creative references to 'The Bachelor', claiming the promos copy recognizable intellectual property and violate trademark, copyright, and unfair competition laws. WBTV stated it has no objection to a dating show hosted by Harrison in itself, but objects to promotions that ride on the coattails of their franchise. Fox Nation responded on September 24 by defending the campaign and stating the letter attempts to restrict promotion of a competing show. The new series is set to debut on November 11 on Fox Nation, and the promo features Harrison stating he believes in true love alongside on-screen rose petals. Fox News declined to make executives available for comment.

Context

Purchasing local ad inventory allows networks to place commercials that a rival network might otherwise reject. Past examples of this television strategy include the CW airing ads on ABC Family in 2014 and TNT buying ad slots during NBC's programs in 2004. Television networks occasionally use local ad slots to reach viewers who watch competing channels.