The 2,400-seat Miami theatre lit up for illustration a Coldplay performance erstwhile the QR codification dropped astatine the Miss USA pageant. A oversea of phones — held up by supportive parents, partners, and past pageant queens — trained their cameras connected the monolithic barcode being projected from halfway stage, fresh to ballot for their favored contestant.
Twelve minutes connected the clock: The countdown was on.
Fingers tapped quickly arsenic the assemblage utilized their free ballot aliases purchased much successful bundles — $50 for 50, $250 for 250, $500 for 500 — alongside viewers astatine home. The apical 20 contestants' headshots shifted astir the leaderboard arsenic the votes tallied unrecorded connected the pageant's website, revealing precisely really acold each female was from the apical spot.
Two minutes near connected the clock, a banner flashed across: Now, votes counted double. As the seconds ticked person to zero, the votes burst successful for illustration a flash flood. The spread betwixt first and 2nd spot was 1,794 votes astatine the 36-second mark. When the timepiece struck zero, it was much than 14,000.
Fans person ne'er had much of a opportunity astatine Miss USA — particularly if they're consenting to pay. At past month's pageant, paid voting helped find 3 apical 20 spots, while a 4th went to the contestant who sold the astir Westgate Resorts picnic packages, an unprecedented inducement that tied a contestant's placement to income for a pageant sponsor. The victor was wished by a sheet of six judges, including a operation of Miss USA and Miss Universe winners, but fans besides had the opportunity to ballot for the apical 10 arsenic the "seventh judge."
Nearly a twelve of this year's Miss USA contestants said to Business Insider astir the changes. Some judge it's a savvy strategy by CEO Thom Brodeur, who took complete the pageant successful September 2025, to support the business afloat and summation instrumentality engagement, particularly astatine a clip erstwhile pageants struggle to stay relevant. Others interest the title is turning into what 1 called a "pay-to-play" model, making it little accessible to women who don't person money aliases large societal media followings.
Nobody is arguing pinch Beyoncé aliases Taylor Swift's teams complete the standing-room summons prices of four-figures and higher, and we're not going to apologize either.Miss USA CEO Thom Brodeur"There's a batch of fatigue," Miss Arizona Kaitlyn Humphrey told Business Insider. "It's an costly athletics already, and it breaks my bosom that a batch of group can't compete purely because there's specified a obstruction to introduction successful the financial facet of things. And past we're conscionable adding layers to that."
The bygone days of web TV
Nearly 40 cardinal group tuned successful to watch Miss USA successful the 1960s and '70s, but viewership dwindled complete its 60 years connected television. In 2023, the Miss USA last peaked astatine 1.1 cardinal viewers connected The CW. It was a acold outcry from its heyday, but still capable for a multiyear deal. The web yet dropped the pageant successful 2025 amid fallout from former CEO Laylah Rose's tenure, during which Miss USA 2023 Noelia Voigt and Miss Teen USA 2023 UmaSofia Srivastava relinquished their crowns owed to her leadership.
This year, the title was group to return to The CW, but, arsenic Business Insider first reported, the web dropped the show connected August 20, a week earlier the final. Miss USA cited a "contractual rumor pinch our accumulation arrangements" and moved it to Queen Beauty Network, a streaming work focused connected the pageant industry, wherever Brodeur is listed arsenic vice president and main trading officer.
When the crown was placed connected Justus Kelley's caput connected August 27, making her the first joined female and mother to triumph the title, a unrecorded spectator antagonistic connected the Queen Beauty Network showed astir 4,000 group watching.
Shrinking viewership hasn't only affected Miss USA's ratings — it's put a superior dent successful the pageant's coffers. Paula Shugart, who oversaw Miss USA from 2001 to 2020 arsenic president of the Miss Universe Organization, told Business Insider that the pageant erstwhile received $3 to $5 cardinal successful licensing fees from the networks. Those days are gone.
"Network tv has wholly changed," Shugart said. "You don't person the viewership, and you're not going to get the licence fees that you utilized to get. You person to fig retired different ways to salary for it and defray the costs."
It's a reality that Brodeur knows well.
"The days of 'free lunch' for pageants and pageant fans are over," he told Business Insider past week. "They've been complete for immoderate time. Introducing caller gross streams — whether that's done instrumentality voting, contests, aliases different unsocial opportunities we're exploring — are the measurement this manufacture lives to spot its adjacent 75 years."
Competing astatine Miss USA wasn't inexpensive to statesman with, though the costs varies wide depending connected who you ask. Contestants who said to Business Insider estimated costs ranging from $3,000 to $50,000.
Brodeur compared the finance to that of immoderate competitory sport. "There is thing caller nether the sun astir creating opportunities and spaces for each of america to workout our God-given gifts successful this world," he said. "Unfortunately, location are besides costs attached to the creation of those opportunities and spaces, and that's the reality of life."
A caller measurement to prosecute fans
Traditionally, contestants make it to Miss USA by winning a authorities pageant.
Those are organized and funded by individual directors, who salary the statement a franchise fee. Contestants must live, work, aliases study successful the authorities for astatine slightest 90 days anterior to the title and are allowed to compete successful 2 authorities pageants a year.
When Brodeur took complete arsenic CEO, he had 5 weeks to put connected the Miss USA 2025 pageant. Some departed authorities board had not been replaced, and 8 states were missing titleholders. His solution: an unfastened casting telephone successful which women from immoderate authorities could use for a authorities title. Five judges selected the titleholders.
This year, 16 states were near without directors. Brodeur said only the Miss Universe Organization tin legally rumor franchise agreements to caller authorities directors, truthful the unfastened casting telephone returned — this clip pinch fans getting a say.
Before the applicants could beryllium seen by a judging sheet of former Miss USA winners, they had to make it done 3 rounds of instrumentality voting complete the people of a month. People could usage a regular free ballot aliases acquisition bundles that ranged from $4.99 for 10 votes to $499 for 2,000 votes connected a third-party website. The votes did not rotation complete from information to round, truthful each contestant started each information backmost astatine quadrate one.
"It was crazy," said Amber Uhler, who was selected to correspond Michigan done the casting call. "I had to get everyone I knew to put successful paid votes for me. [I said], 'If you were ever going to bargain maine a Christmas gift, conscionable make it this.'"
Miss USA divided the 16 states into 2 casting calls. Women who didn't get selected successful the first, which ran from May 20 to June 30, were automatically entered into the second, from June 29 to July 28. That meant immoderate women were campaigning for votes for 2 months.
Malory Hudson, who has competed astatine 12 Miss USA authorities pageants since 2017, was 1 of them. "I emotion competing, but I hated this unfastened casting call," said Hudson, who did not make it done the judges' panel. "There was conscionable worry each azygous day. You person to station truthful much, and it's exhausting."
Other contestants, for illustration Uhler, enjoyed the process because it "made it much fun" arsenic group were invested successful the contestants' journeys. Jordyn Owen, who won Miss Colorado done the unfastened call, said it brought "a batch much buzz and attention" to Miss USA.
"Last year, it was wholly anonymous. No 1 knew if you submitted successful the unfastened telephone aliases not," she added. "Having it beryllium very nationalist this year, I really benignant of liked it because it did make it consciousness a small spot much invested."
Brodeur said that the aggregate rounds of voting were designed to prosecute fans and springiness contestants the "absolute champion chance and astir opportunity for their fans to beforehand them into the last judging round."
"We admit that some unfastened casting and instrumentality voting are 'new ways' of reasoning astir and approaching this travel successful pageantry," he added. "Not everything that is innovative is accepted universally correct away."
Some contestants worried that the process was a obstruction for women who didn't person generous sponsors via their family, friends, aliases followers. Uhler said her family spent $4,000 to $5,000 successful votes during the past round; Hudson said she had a sponsor who bought astir $30,000 worthy of votes.
Brodeur disputed that the caller instrumentality voting made Miss USA little accessible, saying astir 70% of the open-call winners precocious pinch a "much higher ratio of free votes from their fans than paid votes."
"There are 2 types of competitors successful this sport," he said. "The first… has specified a profoundly engaged instrumentality guidelines she could many times promote her fans to 'vote for maine for free' and she advanced. The different was the campaigner who wasn't acrophobic to activity the financial support of her friends, family, and fans to thrust their participation."
"How is this immoderate different than Instagram and TikTok influencers monetizing their contented aliases their 'journeys/stories' done fans connected behalf of the brands they're repping?" he added. "It's perfectly the aforesaid process."
Brodeur said the unfastened casting telephone is present to enactment for astatine slightest different year. "As we activity done this adjacent season's statement process, we are apt going to beryllium forced to execute a akin strategy arsenic we did during this past cycle," he added.
The People's Choice(s)
The run for votes wasn't complete aft the unfastened casting call. Next, contestants had to spell done People's Choice, which fto fans ballot for their favourite among each 51 Miss USA 2026 contestants. As pinch the casting call, fans could usage a regular free ballot aliases acquisition them successful bundles.
Most pageants — including Miss Universe and Miss America — person traditionally allocated 1 spot successful the semifinals for the contestant who receives the astir instrumentality votes. Under Brodeur's leadership, that azygous spot successful Miss USA's apical 20 expanded to 4 successful 2025, and 3 this year.
It's been a arguable determination among contestants, including Miss Kansas Madilynn Becker, who won this year's People's Choice grant pinch Miss Louisiana Ella Clark and Miss Colorado's Owen.
"People's Choice is simply a path, but it's almost for illustration the shortcut, successful a sense," said Becker. "I deliberation I would person felt moreover much proud if I sewage successful connected my ain merit."
"I would emotion to spot the voting go a free point because, essentially, it comes down to who has the astir money to champion for them," said Miss California Acacia McBride.
Brodeur said he expanded the number of People's Choice contestants to springiness fans a larger say. "One of the rallying cries for the amended portion of a decade has been, 'We want much of a sound successful who makes it and where,'" he added.
He said that's why fans were besides fixed the chance to ballot for the apical 10 connected finals night. The Miss USA website said these votes were "combined into a seventh people and counted pinch the judges' six erstwhile the apical 10 is decided." Brodeur confirmed that the instrumentality voting counted arsenic 14% of the contestants' wide score.
While a number of contestants who said to Business Insider thought the voting was a awesome measurement to support the assemblage engaged, comparing it to the real-time voting connected "Love Island" aliases "Dancing pinch the Stars," others were amazed to study that fans could acquisition votes.
"It decidedly stirred up a batch of feelings backstage," Arizona's Humphrey said. "Some of the girls person different financial situations than others, and you consciousness for illustration things are getting ripped distant from you for factors that you can't control, and we've already spent truthful overmuch money to beryllium there."
Tens of thousands of votes poured in, but, successful the end, the 3 women who received the astir votes — Humphrey, Miss Louisiana Ella Clark, and Miss Montana Lisbeth Fernández — did not beforehand to the apical 10.
"I consciousness very blessed to cognize that I person a large assemblage that is consenting to show up for me," said Fernández, who received the astir votes. "But astatine the extremity of the day, the judges are the ones who make the eventual call."
Parents and pageant fans tossed astir the building "money grab" passim the weeklong 2026 title successful Miami.
Brodeur said the statement made "five aliases six figures" from instrumentality voting but declined to stock an nonstop number. He besides noted that immoderate gross from instrumentality voting was utilized to money caller rate prizes — ranging from $3,500 to $15,000 — for each contestant who made it into the apical five. The net for this year's Miss USA victor besides accrued to $150,000; it was $75,000 successful 2025.
"There were a batch of different aspects wherever I was like, 'OK, you person to salary to play,'" said McBride. "However, I do think, connected the flip broadside of that, incorporating the rate prizes and the net balanced it out."
A caller apical 20 incentive
An further apical 20 spot was reserved for the contestant who sold the astir Westgate Resorts picnic packages: $99 for a two-night enactment astatine 1 of six US properties.
Miss USA announced the caller business successful April. Brodeur told Business Insider that it was a measurement to pat into what he calls "one of the largest micro and nano-influencer networks of women aged 14 to 45 successful the United States."
Some women dove headfirst, walking to a Westgate spot to movie Instagram content. Fernández, who secured the "Westgate Brand Ambassador" title, said she sold almost 200 packages and will now person the opportunity to question and reply for a six-figure position astatine the company.
"A batch of the girls were focused connected the People's Choice, but I really didn't springiness it immoderate thought astatine each because I wanted to triumph the 'Westgate Brand Ambassador,'" she told Business Insider. "I put my trading skills successful action, and I promoted that each complete pinch my friends, family, and community. I besides sold immoderate firm packages."
Uhler, who estimates she sold 103 packages, was besides a instrumentality of the incentive. Although she didn't make it into the apical 20, she appreciated that Miss USA offered a caller avenue for contestants to advance.
"It's awesome that you tin activity difficult and gain thing alternatively than just, you know, being the prettiest, aliases having the champion walk, aliases having the champion body," she added. "I don't deliberation that I person immoderate of those things, but you almost can't outwork maine — isolated from for this time, personification did! I really thought I was going to nail it pinch 100."
Some contestants who said to Business Insider worried that the placement was retired of scope for those without built-in societal media followings. Others, for illustration Miss USA 2004 Shandi Finnessey, didn't deliberation it fresh the brand.
"I don't deliberation they should beryllium trading existent estate," Finnessey said. "Miss USA is not a salesperson; she should beryllium a spokeswoman."
Brodeur said he believes that it's portion of Miss USA's occupation to beryllium a "brand ambassador, a salesperson, a spokesperson… for brands that are consenting to trial their skills and spot who rises to the occasion."
The $99 Westgate edifice woody was besides included successful the $500 summons for this year's Miss USA competition, a steeper value than successful years past. One contestant said her parents spent $2,000 connected tickets for the preliminary, final, and authorities costume shows this year. Others told their relatives to prevention their money and watch from home.
"At the extremity of the day, I would alternatively my dada beryllium successful the stands than spell connected a vacation," Becker said.
Brodeur defended the cost, saying he wanted to "elevate the Miss USA brand."
"We're not a precocious schoolhouse philharmonic production. We're not a prom aliases homecoming queen event," he said. "Nobody is arguing pinch Beyoncé aliases Taylor Swift's teams complete the standing-room summons prices of four-figures and higher, and we're not going to apologize either."
Brodeur hopes the changes tin catapult Miss USA into its adjacent section aft years of scandals. The situation is proving to prospective contestants that location will beryllium a return connected their investment.
Is it capable for Miss USA to beryllium different influencer? The shape utilized to beryllium a launching pad for stars for illustration Halle Berry and Kenya Moore. Some pageant queens aren't convinced it still has that power.
"Anyone these days tin prime up your telephone and spell connected TikTok," said Owen. "I'm not saying it's easy. It takes a batch to build followers and a brand, but what pageants utilized to person were a family name. Miss USA needs to person that personage value again."
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Business Insider tells the stories you want to cognize astir the world of business, technology, and finance
Business Insider tells the stories you want to cognize astir the world of business, technology, and finance
Business Insider tells the stories you want to cognize astir the world of business, technology, and finance
Business Insider tells the stories you want to cognize astir the world of business, technology, and finance
Business Insider tells the stories you want to cognize astir the world of business, technology, and finance
Anneta Konstantinides is simply a manner analogous astatine Business Insider, pinch a attraction connected nutrient and travel. She loves taking readers inside Michelin-starred kitchens and exploring the world of fine-dining, and she's ever trying to find the best Ina Garten and Gordon Ramsay recipes. Her 2nd location is LAX, wherever she's often catching a formation and reviewing airlines.Anneta has besides been reporting connected the pageant manufacture for the past six years and has interviewed each Miss USA and Miss Universe victor since 2019. She was a finalist astatine the LA Press Club Awards for her investigation into the 2022 Miss USA ungraded and was featured successful The New York Times Presents section "How to Fix a Pageant" connected Hulu successful September 2023. After graduating from UCLA pinch a B.A successful English Literature and a insignificant successful movie & television, Anneta worked arsenic a journalist successful London, Sydney, New York City, Los Angeles, and Washington, DC. You tin scope Anneta astatine [email protected].
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