'The Secret Circle,' 'Hart of Dixie' Pilots Bow Early on iTunes

4:34 PM PDT 9/12/2011 by Lacey Rose

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David Gray/The CW

"The Secret Circle"

The first minute of "The Vampire Diaries" and "Gossip Girl" will also be included in the early previews.

In a bid to lure viewers to sample newcomers The Secret Circle and Hart of Dixie ahead of the premiere week crush, the CW will be streaming the drama pilots on iTunes for free.

The younger-skewing network is kicking off the campaign with Britt Robertson-starrer Circle, which is currently steaming with a one-minute sneak peek of The Vampirie Diaries -- which shares an executive producer in Kevin Williamson. Beginning Sept. 22, the Rachel Bilson-led Dixie will hit the Apple streaming site, with an early glimpse of the Gossip Girl premiere lumped in. Gossip Girl, like Dixie, comes from EPs Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage.

The iTunes push is in addition to other outreach efforts including Facebook Apps, branded fortune telling books and country radio station screening contests.

The news comes a week after Fox announced a similar marketing strategy for its Zooey Deschanel comedy, New Girl. Like Fox, the CW is placing the possibility for buzz generation and early sampling ahead of fears of cannibalization, a potentially risky move for a network that has historically struggled to lure its younger, tech-savvy viewers to the TV screen.

Secret Circle premieres Thursday, Sept. 15, while Hart of Dixie bows Monday, Sept. 26, on the CW.

Email: Lacey.Rose@THR.com; Twitter: @LaceyVRose