The Miss USA pageants were supposed to have their big television moment on The CW next week, but the spotlight has suddenly gone dark. With the competitions just days away, the network has pulled both Miss USA and Miss Teen USA from its broadcast schedule, leaving this year’s contestants without the planned national TV platform. The sudden decision has also raised plenty of questions, especially since neither side is explaining exactly what went wrong.

And with the crown still up for grabs, the biggest question now sits far away from the stage.

The CW has confirmed that it will no longer broadcast the 2026 Miss USA and Miss Teen USA pageants, which were scheduled to take place in Miami next week. In a statement, the network said that after “careful consideration and conversations” with the Miss USA Organization, it had decided to “forego” the broadcasts, while wishing the organization and contestants well. Neither The CW nor the Miss USA Organization has publicly elaborated on the reason behind the abrupt change.

“After careful consideration and conversations with the Miss USA Organization, The CW Network has decided to forego next week’s broadcasts of the Miss USA and Miss Teen USA pageants. We wish the organization and all of this year’s contestants well in the competition.” The CW said as reported by Variety.

Meanwhile, apart from the Variety reports, the pageants were originally scheduled for August 26 and August 27, with Miss Teen USA set to air Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET and Miss USA following Thursday at the same time. Miss Teen USA was slated to be hosted by Kamie Crawford and Sean Michael Rae, while Kenya Moore and Ian Ziering were set to host Miss USA. The competitions will now move away from the planned CW broadcasts, with the events expected to continue through an online streaming platform.

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With the pageants suddenly out of The CW’s lineup, the network now has to reshuffle a schedule already packed with everything from crime dramas to college football.

The CW’s fall 2026 lineup will lean heavily on acquired scripted series, unscripted programming, game shows, and live sports following the removal of the four-hour Miss USA programming block. Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent Season 2 is set to premiere October 5, alongside Private Eyes West Coast, while Sullivan’s Crossing continues its run. The network is also bringing back shows including Police 24/7 and Wild Cards for another season.

Sports will remain a major part of The CW’s schedule, with college football taking over Saturday programming through matchups involving the ACC, Mountain West, and Pac-12. The network has also integrated its live CW Sports streaming offering into the ESPN App, while its Thursday lineup will feature Scrabble hosted by Craig Ferguson and Trivial Pursuit hosted by LeVar Burton. With the pageants suddenly removed, The CW’s fall slate is now taking shape around a very different mix of scripted, unscripted, and live programming.

While The CW’s sudden exit has left plenty unanswered, but the pageants themselves are still moving forward as this year’s contestants prepare for the spotlight.

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What do you think about The CW pulling the Miss USA and Miss Teen USA broadcasts? Let us know in the comments.