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Organizers said on Monday that "Miss America,"
which marks its 100th anniversary this year, will air entirely
on NBC's Peacock streaming platform in December.
"We look forward to entering the streaming world with Peacock
this year to help introduce our 51 outstanding individuals to a
younger, broader audience and showcase their unique personal
stories,” Shantel Krebs, a former Miss South Dakota and current
chief executive of the Miss America organization, said in a
statement.
The contest will take place over five days, with the Dec. 16
finale being staged in Uncasville, Connecticut.
Organizers said the decision was aimed at attracting younger and
more affluent viewers who are accustomed to watching media on
digital devices rather than on traditional television.
The move also follows a slump in viewers to record lows and the
elimination of the swimsuit round to take account of a new wave
of female empowerment. TV audiences dropped to an all-time low
of 4.3 million people in 2018, when the swimsuit round was
eliminated, and fell again to 3.6 million the following year.
The event, which started as a beachside beauty pageant in
Atlantic City, New Jersey, in 1921, hands out millions of
dollars in college scholarships to its winners.
It experienced its own #MeToo scandal in late 2017 when internal
emails came to light that contained sexist comments on the
weight and appearance of some of the contestants. Several
executives resigned.
(Reporting by Jill Serjeant; Editing by Peter Cooney)
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