The Miss Universe Organization (MUO), which oversees the annual MISS UNIVERSE competition, announces new multi-year distribution deals with The Roku Channel and Telemundo, covering the U.S. streaming and broadcast markets in both English and Spanish languages, respectively. The 72nd Annual Finale will occur on November 18, 2023.
The 2023 competition, which is set to take place live in El Salvador, will be executive produced by Sergio Alfaro and his LA-based production company InventTV, as well as Paula Shugart and Anne Jakrajutatip for Miss Universe.
“We’re very excited to be moving forward with The Roku Channel and Telemundo for the next few years,” said Amy Emmerich, MUO CEO. “To me, this is a legacy brand that people should be watching for what we’re going to do next, not what we’ve done in the past. The women we work with, and the fans who make up our core audience, are an exceptionally tuned-in crowd. We appreciate seeing them show up for us every single year – and our broadcast partners have seen that firsthand.”
In January 2023, the 71st Miss Universe finale streamed for the first time on The Roku Channel, becoming the most streamed live program on The Roku Channel on its broadcast date, reaching millions of streamers with the live and on-demand replay of the competition during its broadcast weekend.
“It is a pleasure to build on our partnership with the Miss Universe Organization, and we look forward to exclusively bringing the live experience to The Roku Channel once again,” said David Eilenberg, Head of Content, Roku Media. “The success of last year’s broadcast, which also marked The Roku Channel’s first-ever live event, not only demonstrates viewer appetite for live programming, but also the success that live programming can find in a free streaming environment.”
For Telemundo, the finale ranked as the #1 entertainment program in its Saturday night slot across broadcast and cable for adults 18-49, with an average of 875,000 viewers in the 18-49 demo and 2.4 million total viewers on linear. Locally, it was the #1 ranked Spanish-language TV program in its time slot in the Los Angeles, New York, Miami, Dallas, and Chicago markets.
“As the exclusive broadcast home of Miss Universe in the U.S., we are thrilled to bring the competition back to our audience live from El Salvador, a Latin American country full of beauty and rich in culture,” stated Ronald Day, President of Entertainment and Content Strategy for Telemundo. “This highly anticipated global event showcases our diverse cultures, while recognizing women who have positively impacted their countries and helped empower others.”
This year, women from 90+ countries, covering six continents, will compete for the Miss Universe title and the opportunity to bring their social-impact cause to a global audience. The organization has a storied history of launching women’s careers in entertainment, politics, fashion, advocacy, and more. Recent past winners include India’s Harnaaz Sandhu, who founded a coalition for menstrual equity, and current titleholder R’Bonney Gabriel of Houston, TX, who has her own sustainable fashion line and has partnered with sustainable initiatives like RCGD Global.
“I’m thrilled to be working with The Roku Channel, Telemundo, and InventTV for our 72nd global event,” said MUO President and longtime producer Paula Shugart. “I’ve known Sergio’s work for many years and we’re so excited to finally be partnering on a show that will demonstrate our collective passion for women’s empowerment.”
“Miss Universe is a global organization that needs cross-cultural expertise to thrive,” said Alfaro, whose production experience spans the Alma Awards, Emmy Awards, and the Critics’ Choice Awards, as well as large-scale live events like the inauguration of President Barack Obama. “I welcome the chance to bridge the English- and Spanish-speaking markets by producing an amazing show for the 165 countries that will view it. I appreciate Paula Shugart and Anne Jakrajutatip trusting me with this endeavor!”
MUO is owned by JKN Global Group Public Company Limited, a major media, content, and commerce holding company (Stock Exchange of Thailand: JKN).
