Donald Trump’s Miss USA Suffers Loss of 3 Million Viewers in Move to Reelz
Pageant, which drew 5.5 million on NBC last year, still scored as cable network’s second best premiere after “The Kennedys” miniseries
Tony Maglio | July 14, 2015 @ 12:06 PM
Last Updated: July 14, 2015 @ 12:33 PM
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Donald Trump’s Miss USA pageant hit its lowest-ever ratings on Sunday, losing about 3 million total viewers in its move from NBC to Reelz following the presidential candidate’s controversial remarks over Mexican immigrants.
The Reelz telecast of the pageant attracted 2.5 million total viewers over two airings — counting the actual premiere and an encore, which the cable channel reported together.
The one airing of the 2014 competition on the higher-trafficked NBC scored 5.5 million total viewers. While the comparisons are admittedly apples-to-oranges in both venue and telecast total, the loss of more than half of last year’s audience is significant.
Still, there is some good news for Reelz, if not so much for Trump. “Miss USA 2015” was the most viewed telecast ever on Reelz for women 18-34, and now ranks as the second-highest premiere night in network history, behind only “The Kennedys” miniseries. The July pageant’s premiere night telecasts received a 1.26 gross household coverage area rating.
“The last two weeks have been a whirlwind for Reelz and we are proud to have had the opportunity to partner with the incredibly capable Miss Universe/Miss USA organization,” said Stan E. Hubbard, chief executive officer of Reelz. “Their capability and the value we bring as an independent network produced an extraordinary night of television that America tuned in to watch.”
Miss USA was dropped by both NBC and Univision following derogatory remarks Trump made about Mexican immigrants during his presidential candidacy declaration speech last month. Trump co-owns the Miss Universe Organization in a joint venture with NBCUniversal.
“When do we beat Mexico at the border?” asked Trump at the time. “They’re laughing at us, at our stupidity. And now they are beating us economically. They are not our friend, believe me. But they’re killing us economically.”
“The U.S. has become a dumping ground for everybody else’s problems,” he continued. “When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending their best. They’re not sending you. They’re sending people that have lots of problems, and they’re bringing those problems with us. They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists. And some, I assume, are good people.”
“It’s coming from more than Mexico. It’s coming from all over South and Latin America, and it’s coming probably from the Middle East,” he continued.
Donald Trump's Miss USA Pageant: Meet the 51 Contestants (Photos)
Miss USA Pageant
Madison Guthrie (Miss Alabama) Representing the University of Alabama, Guthrie was the only fan selected to be featured in the ESPN "Who's In?" 2014 college football commercials
Renee Wronecki (Miss Illinois) After she graduated from high school, Wronecki and her mother were both diagnosed with skin cancer. They're now cancer-free
Miss USA Pageant
Gretchen Reece (Miss Indiana) Reece is a registered American Kennel Club breeder. Throughout college, she paid for textbooks by saving money from three litters she sold
Miss USA Pageant
Taylor Even (Miss Iowa) Even hopes to graduate from college with a respiratory therapy degree and work at a children’s hospital
Miss USA Pageant
Alexis Railsback (Miss Kansas) Railsback has a fraternal twin sister named Ashley who is older than her by two minutes, but shorter than her by six inches
Miss USA Pageant
Katie George (Miss Kentucky) George was the Kentucky Gatorade Player of the Year and Prep Volleyball's National Player of the Year
Miss USA Pageant
Candice Bennatt (Miss Louisiana) Bennatt serves as an Ambassador for the Louisiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence
Heather Elwell (Miss Maine) She can play seven different instruments including the flute, tenor saxophone and violin
Miss USA Pageant
Mame Adjei (Miss Maryland) Adjei's first modeling experience was at the age of six in Switzerland, when she was scouted to be featured in a Church brochure
Jessica Scheu (Miss Minnesota) Scheu is a third degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do
Miss USA Pageant
Courtney Byrd (Miss Mississippi) Byrd sponsors and writes to a girl in India through Compassion International
Miss USA Pageant
Rebecca Dunn (Miss Missouri) Dunn studied abroad in Europe and went on a mission trip to Africa where she visited orphanages in Kenya and Malawi
Miss USA Pageant
Tahnee Peppenger (Miss Montana) Peppenger plans on serving her state and country through public or military service
Miss USA Pageant
Hoang-Kim Cung (Miss Nebraska) Growing up, Cung built computers with her brother and now is learning how to code
Miss USA Pageant
Brittany McGowan (Miss Nevada) McGowan is multi-racial. She is English, Irish, Scottish, Italian, Puerto Rican and African American
Miss USA Pageant
Samantha Poirier (Miss New Hampshire) Poirier is a 23-year-old model, student and outdoor enthusiast from Dover, New Hampshire
Miss USA Pageant
Vanessa Oriolo (Miss New Jersey) Oriolo speaks English, Italian and Spanish
Miss USA Pageant
Alexis Duprey (Miss New Mexico) Duprey's family has three German Shorthaired Pointers. Lucca (the oldest) is a show grand champion.
Miss USA Pageant
Thatiana Diaz (New York) Diaz was features editor for Pace University's The Pace Press and interned at several companies including Vogue and Latina Magazine
Julia Dalton (Miss North Carolina) Dalton can quote every episode of the NBC series "Friends"
Miss USA Pageant
Molly Ketterling (Miss North Dakota) Ketterling attended the International Science Fair for two years thanks to her growing and studying cancer cells in a Petri dish
Miss USA Pageant
Sarah Newkirk (Miss Ohio) Newkirk was home schooled and did not have a television in her home until the ninth grade
Miss USA Pageant
Olivia Jordan (Miss Oklahoma) While at Boston University, Jordan won first prize in a pie baking contest, taking the prize for Alpha Phi in an all-sorority bake-off
Kiara Young (Miss Tennessee) Young has been a NFL cheerleader for the Tennessee Titans for two years
Miss USA Pageant
Ylianna Guerra (Miss Texas) Guerra has worked with various nonprofit organizations such as the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Easter Seals, Proyecto Desarollo Humano and the Texas Children's Hospital
Miss USA Pageant
Nicol Powell (Miss Utah) Powell was a "Child of Light" ice skater for the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City
Miss USA Pageant
Jackie Croft (Miss Vermont) Croft is ambidextrous, making her able to use both sides of her body equally
Miss USA Pageant
Laura Puleo (Miss Virginia) Puleo graduated from Duke with degrees in Latin and Attic Greek
Kenzi Novell (Miss Washington) After finding out Syfy would be filming a zombie television show in her hometown, Novell auditioned and was cast as a zombie in "ZNation"