ABC has extended the contract with Dick Clark Productions and the Miss America Organization to air the Miss America Competition through 2018. The deal for domestic broadcast rights adds three years to the existing contract, which was scheduled to expire in 2015.
Dick Clark Productions and the Miss America Organization will continue to collaborate on all creative, marketing, sponsorship, licensing, ticketing and distribution elements. Tony Eaton and Tall Pony Productions will produce the 2017 show.
“We are so pleased to continue our successful partnership with ABC. Miss America, Dick Clark Productions and ABC have worked tirelessly to make the national competition one of the most important specials on television,” said Sam Haskell, chairman and CEO, Miss America Organization
Miss America 2016 aired in September, with Miss Georgia, Betty Cantrell, taking the title. The program rated a 1.5 in adults 18-49, per Nielsen overnights.
“We are happy to extend and build on our partnership with Miss America and ABC,” said Mike Mahan, president of Dick Clark Productions. “We look forward to growing the Miss America legacy for years to come.”
In other pageant news, the Miss Universe Organization was sold to WME-IMG in September by Donald Trump after he bought out the 50% he did not own from NBCUniversal. Fox will air the Miss Universe Pageant live Dec. 20.
(Photo via Disney-ABC Television Group's Flickr. Image taken on Nov. 23, 2015 and used per Creative Commons 2.0 license. The photo was cropped to fit 3x4 aspect ratio.)
