Broadcasters across Southeast Asia, including Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam and Cambodia, have picked up rights to the Miss Universe pageant happening in New Orleans this weekend.

The pageant is the first under new owner, Thai-listed JKN Global Group, which acquired the Miss Universe Organisation from IMG Worldwide for US$20 million in October 2022.

The acquisition shifted the 71-year-old organisation’s ownership outside of the U.S. for the first time.

The Bangkok-based JKN will air the main event on its free-TV channel, JKN18, along with the preliminary round on 12 January from 8am to 9.30am (BKK), followed by the national costume round from 10am to 11.30am. 

In the Philippines, ABS-CBN will air the pageant live on A2Z Channel 11, Kapamilya Channel, Metro Channel and iWantTFC, on Sunday morning with the 10.30pm encore including free-TV network TV5 as well, and high hopes for the crown to return to the Philippines for the fifth time.

Free-TV broadcaster Antv has acquired rights for Indonesia, along with 8TV for Malaysia and the Now TV English channel for Hong Kong.

In Vietnam, the pageant will air on FPT, with Hang Meas picking up rights for Cambodia. 

85 women are competing in this year’s event. The current Miss Universe is India’s Harnaaz Sandhu.