Donald Trump’s Miss USA Pageant Cost Reelz No More Than $100,000 (Exclusive)
Reelz Channel paid "no more than $100,000" to license Donald Trump's Miss USA pageant, a network insider told the Wrap.
The
network announced Thursday it had acquired television rights to the
pageant, which had been dumped by broadcast partner NBC on Monday. Trump
and the broadcaster's parent company NBC Universal co-own Miss USA and
the Miss Universe pageant.
The Miss USA pageant will take place in Baton Rouge, La. Monday, July 12.
Univision was the first
television partner to cut ties with the Miss Universe Organization
following comments made by Trump at an event for his presidential
campaign, where he disparaged Mexicans as "rapists." The network's
contract dictated that it would pay $13.5 million over five years to
broadcast the Miss Universe and Miss USA pageants. Trump is suing
Univision for $500 million for dropping the shows.
Reelz's contract covers only the Miss USA pageant July 12.
Starz
CEO Stan E. Hubbard told TheWrap that the network "does not endorse
Trump's comments regarding Mexicans. Hubbard, whose father, Stanley
Hubbard, is a regular donator to Republican political campaigns, added,
"I am not a supporter of Donald Trump's for president."
Recent
days have seen on-camera talent flee the program, with co-host Cheryl
Burke, judges Emmit Smith and Jonathan Scott, and performer Flo Rida all
departing.
Hubbard also
responded to media reports that the pageant's parent organization is
actively pursuing a Latino host to join the broadcast. "I would love to
see that, but I don't know if that's in the cards or not.
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