The title « Miss Universe » was first used by the International Pageant of Pulchritude in 1926. This contest was held annually until 1935, when the Great Depression and other events preceding World War II led to its demise.
The current Miss Universe pageant was founded in 1952 by Pacific Knitting Mills, a California-based clothing company and manufacturer of Catalina Swimwear, and it has since been headquartered in the United States. The company sponsored the Miss America pageant until 1951, when the winner, Yolande Betbeze, refused to pose for publicity pictures wearing one of its swimsuits. In 1952, Pacific Knitting Mills organized the Miss USA and Miss Universe pageants, co-sponsoring them for decades.
The first Miss Universe Pageant was held in Long Beach, California, in 1952. It was won by Armi Kuusela of Finland, who gave up her title, though not officially, to marry shortly before her year was completed. Until 1958, the Miss Universe title, like that of Miss America, was dated by the year after the contest, so Kuusela’s title was Miss Universe 1953. Since its founding by Pacific Mills, the pageant has been organized and conducted by the Miss Universe Organization. Eventually, Pacific Mills and its subsidiaries were acquired by the Kayser-Roth Corporation.
The pageant was first televised in 1955. CBS began broadcasting the combined Miss USA and Miss Universe pageants in 1960, and as separate contests in 1965. In 1975, Gulf and Western Industries bought the Kayser-Roth Corporation. It owned the Miss Universe pageant until 1991, when Procter & Gamble bought it.
In 1996, Donald Trump bought the pageant from ITT Corp, with a broadcasting arrangement with CBS until 2002. In 1998, Miss Universe, Inc. changed its name to the Miss Universe Organization, and moved its headquarters from Los Angeles to New York City. By late 2002, Trump entered into a joint venture with NBC, which in 2003 outbid the other markets for the TV rights. From 2003 to 2014, the pageant was broadcast on NBC in the U.S.
In June 2015, NBC canceled all business relationships with Trump and the Miss Universe Organization in response to controversial statements about immigrants who illegally crossed the border from Mexico. As part of the legal settlement, in September 2015, Trump bought out NBC’s 50% stake in the company, making him the company’s sole owner. Three days later, he sold the company to WME/IMG. After the change of ownership, Fox and Azteca became the Miss Universe and Miss USA pageants’ official broadcasters in October 2015. The Miss Universe Pageant’s broadcast rights were temporarily split between Telemundo and FYI during the 2020 pageant amid COVID-19 pandemic restrictions. The contract with Fox and emcee Steve Harvey resumed for the 2021 edition.
On October 26, 2022, Thailand-based JKN Global Group acquired Miss Universe Organization (MUO) from Endeavor Group Holdings-owned IMG Worldwide at $14 million, making Anne Jakapong Jakrajutatip the first transgender woman to own the organization and marking the first time the organization moved its headquarters outside the U.S. Since the 2022 edition, NBC has regained the pageant’s broadcast rights via The Roku Channel as a result of the ownership changes, marking the first time in Miss Universe history that the pageant has transitioned from traditional broadcast network coverage to full streaming service in the U.S.
In 2024, JKN Global Group is selling a 50% stake in the Miss Universe Organization to Legacy Holding Group USA Inc., an American division of Mexican company Legacy Holding through the joint venture company JKN Legacy Inc.
Telemundo had the licensing rights to air the pageant through 2023.
On November 16, 2023, Paula Shugart, president of the Miss Universe Organization, announced her departure from the Miss Universe Organization. She will not be replaced. On February 8, 2024, Miss Universe Organization CEO Amy Emmerich also announced her departure. She left the organization on March 1, 2024.
On December 13, 2025 Mario Búcaro has resigned as Chief Executive Officer of the Miss Universe Organization (MUO) fewer than two months after assuming the position. His departure was confirmed in a press release that also outlined his contributions to the global pageant organization.
