Now that NBC and Donald Trump are both out of the Miss Universe/Miss USA business, FOX has taken over the broadcast rights for both pageants. The network sent out a press release today announcing they will air the pageant on December 20. Miss USA will air in 2016.
NEW YORK – October 28, 2015 – IMG and The Miss Universe Organization today announced “THE 64th ANNUAL MISS UNIVERSE® PAGEANT” has been picked up by Fox Broadcasting Company (FOX). The three-hour annual event will air live from Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas on Sunday, Dec. 20 (7:00-10:00 PM ET live/PT tape-delayed) on FOX. As part of IMG’s agreement with FOX to broadcast MISS UNIVERSE®, the network will also have domestic rights to air MISS USA®.
“MISS UNIVERSE® is a unique, global media property and this partnership with FOX marks a new era for The Miss Universe Organization as a whole,” said Michael Antinoro, SVP of Original Content, IMG. “As the broadcast leader in innovative and groundbreaking live events, FOX is the perfect partner as we look to implement new and exciting changes to this show and the franchise.”
“The MISS UNIVERSE® and MISS USA® pageants are iconic television events loved by generations of viewers around the world,” said David Madden, President, Entertainment, Fox Broadcasting Company. “We are very excited to partner with IMG and The Miss Universe Organization to infuse a fresh new energy into these perennial broadcast favorites.”
WME | IMG wholly acquired The Miss Universe Organization in September 2015, expanding the company’s portfolio of global events and media properties across entertainment and live events. Prior to the acquisition, IMG had produced a number of pageants for The Miss Universe Organization and will continue to do so with this year’s MISS UNIVERSE® telecast.
NBC dropped the Miss USA pageant, after Donald Trump made controversial remarks about Mexican immigrants when he announced his Republican candidacy for president. Eventually, the event was live streamed, and carried on air by the Reelz Cable channel.
Trump bought out the 51% portion he didn’t already own from NBC Universal back in September, and then almost immediately flipped it to talent agency and marketing firm WME-IMG.
The company runs Miss Universe, Miss USA and Miss Teen USA.
