After being dumped by NBC, the Miss USA Pageant will be carried by the Reelz cable channel.
NBC dropped Miss USA amid the backlash of Donald Trump's comments about crime committed by Mexican immigrants. NBC and Miss USA operated the pageant—and Miss Universe—as a joint venture.
Univision dropped its coverage of Miss USA and was sued by Trump for $500 million.
Reelz has been opportunistic before, picking up a miniseries on the Kennedy family that History channel chose not to run.
“The decision on the part of Reelz to acquire the rights to the Miss USA Pageant was based on our belief that this special event, and the women who compete in it, are an integral part of American tradition,” said Stan E. Hubbard, CEO of Reelz. “As one of only a few independent networks, we decided to exercise our own voice and committed ourselves to bringing this pageant to American viewers everywhere. For us, this decision is about the dreams of the contestants who come from all walks of life across the United States, the city of Baton Rouge that has proudly come together to host this pageant and the viewers who will be watching and celebrating its 54th year on television. The Miss USA Pageant is a perfect fit on Reelz where movies, entertainment and celebrity come together every day of the year.”
The pageant will be televised live on July 12 at 9 p.m.
