Next year, Miss Universe, one of the most awaited and watched events worldwide, will air on Fox and as a part of the contract, Miss USA as well will also be aired on the said network. The program will finish its ties with previous home network, NBC Universal, for 12 years on December.
In September, Miss Universe owner Donald Trump sold the beauty pageant entirely after he made unbecoming comments and criticized Latinos when he declared his presidency. Trump initially co-owned the pageant with NBC but the business tycoon already bought the entire show and publicized his actions through Twitter.
Trump stated that people "coming from more than Mexico" and "all over South and Latin America" are the ones who carry "problem" in the country. According to a report the presidential candidate had incriminated Mexican immigrants of "bringing drugs" and "bringing crime" within the U.S. boundaries and even called a number of them "rapists".
And because of that, NBC bungled the USA telecast of Miss Universe/Miss USA, mentioning Trump's insulting and racist comments as their main reasons. Previous to NBC cutting the ties from Trump, U.S.A.'s largest Spanish broadcaster, Univision also chose not to telecast Miss USA's Spanish-language simulcast.
According to Miss Universe/Miss USA president Paula Shugart, the hunt for a new home network began last summer in June. The 64th yearly Miss Universe will be conducted at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas.
Michael Antinoro, SVP in IMG said, "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,"
"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," he added.
Fox executives express their excitement in the acquisition of airing rights. David Madden, Fox Broadcasting president of entertainment said, "The Miss Universe and Miss USA pageants are iconic television events loved by generations of viewers around the world. We are very excited to partner with IMG and The Miss Universe Organization to infuse a fresh new energy into these perennial broadcast favorites."
The acquisition may help improve the rating of Fox in view of the fact that it remains last among the big four TV networks and the distribution will reach over 190 countries around the globe.