Everything changed when Noelia Voigt walked away. It wasn't just a resignation; it was an earthquake. For the first time in 72 years, a sitting Miss USA handed back her crown in May 2024, citing mental health and a toxic culture. Then, Miss Teen USA UmaSofia Srivastava did the same thing just two days later. Honestly, it looked like the Miss USA TV show was heading for total collapse. People weren't just asking who would win next—they were asking if the whole thing should even exist anymore.
But the show didn't end. It pivoted. Hard.
If you tried to find the most recent pageant on your local cable channel, you probably realized something weird: it wasn't there. After decades of bouncing between NBC, FOX, and most recently The CW, the Miss USA TV show has officially ditched traditional network television. The 2025 competition, held at the Grand Sierra Resort in Reno, Nevada, marked a massive shift. It moved exclusively to the Queen Beauty Network (QBN), a streaming-only platform. No more commercials for laundry detergent every five minutes. Now, it's a pay-per-view model. You want the glam? You’ve gotta pay for the stream.
The Brodeur Era and the Death of the "Perfect" Delegate
The new guy in charge is Thom Brodeur. He took over in late 2025, buying the rights to the franchise after the previous leadership under Laylah Rose became a magnet for lawsuits and controversy. Brodeur basically inherited a house on fire. His solution wasn't to put it out, but to rebuild the whole structure.
He started by killing the old rules.
For years, if you were 29, you were "too old." If you were married or had a kid, you were out. That’s gone. In the most recent Miss USA TV show cycle, we saw contestants like Tetra Shockley from Delaware competing at age 44. She’s literally the oldest person to ever grace the Miss USA stage. We had moms. We had married women. We had MonaLesa Brackett, a 35-year-old representing New Hampshire while wearing a hijab.
The "beauty queen" archetype is being dismantled in real-time. It’s not just about finding a 20-year-old who looks good in a swimsuit anymore; it's about finding women who actually have lives, careers, and—heaven forbid—a few wrinkles or a wedding ring.
What Really Happened Behind the Scenes
You've probably heard the rumors about "rigging." In 2022, when R’Bonney Gabriel won, the other girls literally walked off the stage. They claimed she got special treatment, like extra rehearsals and a custom walking pattern. Then came the 2024 mess. When Alma Cooper, an active-duty Army officer and Stanford student, won the crown in August 2024, it felt like a return to form. She was "perfect."
But then Alma skipped the 2025 crowning.
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Usually, the outgoing queen passes the crown to her successor. It’s the big finale of the Miss USA TV show. But Alma Cooper stayed home. She posted a long message about how she needed to focus on her Army duties and her postgraduate studies. While the new leadership was polite about it, the message was clear: the relationship between the titleholders and the organization is still incredibly strained.
Audrey Eckert of Nebraska ended up winning the 2025 title, but she didn't get that classic "sisterhood" moment with the previous year's winner. It felt... different. A bit colder.
Where the Show Goes From Here
So, where do you actually watch this thing now? Since the move to QBN, the Miss USA TV show has become a niche event for die-hard pageant fans rather than a mainstream spectacle.
- The Live Stream: You usually have to buy a "bundle." The 2025 show cost about $25 for a presale ticket or $35 on the day of the event.
- On-Demand: If you pay for the live stream, you generally get 48 hours to rewatch it. After that, it’s locked behind a subscription.
- The Preliminary Shows: These are sold separately. If you want to see the State Costume show (which is always the most chaotic and fun part), that’s an extra ten bucks.
The production value has changed, too. Hosting duties for the 2025 show fell to Olivia Jordan (Miss USA 2015) and Emmanuel Acho. It’s slick, it’s modern, but it feels more like a tech product than a traditional broadcast.
Is the Pageant Dying or Evolving?
Critics say the move to a tiny streaming network is the "death rattle" of the Miss USA brand. They argue that by taking it off major TV, the organization is admitting it can’t compete with modern entertainment. But there’s another side to that coin. By moving to a private network, they avoid the "clean for TV" restrictions. They can be more experimental. They can let the contestants speak longer. They can lean into the "reality TV" vibe that people actually want to see.
The 2025 judges' panel included Nia Sanchez and The Bachelor's Jade Roper Tolbert. This wasn't an accident. They are trying to bridge the gap between "high-fashion pageantry" and "influencer culture."
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Honestly, the biggest hurdle for the Miss USA TV show isn't the platform—it's the trust. After the resignations of Voigt and Srivastava, fans are skeptical. They want to know that the women on screen aren't being bullied backstage. Brodeur has promised to eliminate the restrictive NDAs that kept former winners silent, but only time will tell if that actually happens.
Actionable Steps for Fans and Aspiring Contestants
If you’re still invested in the world of Miss USA, there are a few things you should do to stay ahead of the curve.
Watch the state pageants first. The national Miss USA TV show is just the tip of the iceberg. Following the state-level competitions on social media gives you a much better idea of who the frontrunners are before the "produced" version hits the screen.
Check the eligibility updates. If you’re thinking about competing, don't assume you're disqualified because of your age or marital status. The 2026 season is expected to be the most inclusive yet.
Follow the money. Keep an eye on the sponsors. When big-name sponsors leave, the production quality of the show usually drops. Conversely, if we start seeing major brands return to the QBN broadcasts, it's a sign that the "Brodeur Rebrand" is actually working.
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The Miss USA we grew up with is gone. What’s left is a scrappy, controversial, and surprisingly modern digital experiment. Whether it survives the next five years depends entirely on whether it can prove that it has actually learned from the disasters of 2024.