New York ? The cosmetics maker Revlon is paying ABC millions of dollars to be featured as a foil for Susan Lucci’s character in the soap opera “All My Children” during the next few months.

Lucci’s character, Erica Kane, runs her own cosmetics company, Enchantment, in the daytime drama. In the story, top competitor Revlon tries to hire one of her employees, but Erica sends her daughter to become a corporate spy instead.

Revlon has promised to pay “multimillions” in advertising in the next several months in return for being featured in the show, said Sallie Schoneboom, ABC daytime spokeswoman.

She wouldn’t specify how much is being paid. A Revlon spokesman did not return a call seeking comment.

Television networks are looking for new ways to generate ad revenue in a tight market, and soap operas are trying to halt ratings declines.

Schoneboom said the story idea came from the “All My Children” writers, who told ABC’s ad sales department about it and they reached the deal with Revlon.