Fans of the Miss USA pageant won’t be able to watch the event on The CW this year. Just a week before it was set to air, the organization announced that “a contractual issue” led to the broadcast being dropped from the network.
In an Instagram story posted on Tuesday, the official Miss USA account explained the timeline of events, and why The CW won’t carry the show this year.
“Two weeks ago, we identified a contractual issue with our production arrangements that could not be resolved within the necessary timeframe,” the post read. “Since then, our team has worked diligently to explore options that would allow us to continue with a live broadcast on The CW. Unfortunately, we were unable to reach mutually agreeable terms for this year’s event.”
In a statement to media, The CW confirmed the decision, saying: “After careful consideration and conversations with the Miss USA Organization, The CW Network has decided to forego next week’s broadcasts of the Miss USA and Miss Teen USA pageants. We wish the organization and all of this year’s contestants well in the competition.”
It appears there’s no bad blood though, as the Miss USA post went on to note how “grateful” the pageant is for its relationship with The CW, and that it will “remain open to opportunities to work together in the future.”
Now, fans who want to watch the pageant, which runs from August 24-27, will have to watch it on QBN (The Queen Beauty Network) available by mobile app, website, Apple TV and other streaming platforms.
With this change, 2026 will be the second year ever — and second year in a row — that the Miss USA pageant won’t be available to watch live on broadcast television.
