There she is, Miss Universe, on Fox. Oh, and Miss USA is coming with her.
The 64th Annual Miss Universe Pageant is heading to Fox, where it will air live on Sunday, Dec. 20 at 7 p.m. The three-hour event will take place at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. As part of the agreement, the broadcast network also gets domestic rights to Miss USA.
WME/IMG wholly acquired The Miss Universe Organization from Donald Trump in September 2015. The GOP presidential candidate had to walk away from a number of TV deals after making what many deemed offensive remarks about Mexicans.
“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, senior vice president 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,” added 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.”
“Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino has been a fantastic partner to The Miss Universe Organization, and it will be a great home for The 64th Annual Miss Universe Pageant,” commented Paula M. Shugart, president of The Miss Universe Organization. “The resort’s AXIS Theater is a premier entertainment venue, and the ideal site for the pageant’s inaugural broadcast on a new network.”
The Miss Universe telecast has distribution in approximately 190 countries and territories. Contestants from more than 80 countries will vie to become the next Miss Universe in this special programming event, which will conclude with current Miss Universe Paulina Vega of Colombia crowning her successor.
The Miss USA Pageant, which will air in 2016 on Fox, features contestants from all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The winner of Miss USA goes on to compete for the title of Miss Universe.
IMG produces the Miss Universe pageant.