Miss Universe will get air time in Spanish-language TV this year, after all. Azteca América network has just landed the rights to simulcast the beauty pageant, which will be broadcast live this Sunday, December 20 from 7 to 10 pm ET from Las Vegas. It will be tape-delayed for the West Coast.
Vanessa Claudio and Poncho de Anda will be the hosts for the Spanish-language broadcast.
Univision pulled out of the 5-year $13.5 million contract it signed with Miss Universe in January, after Donald Trump, who was part owner of the pageant, made incendiary comments against Mexicans during a speech announcing his candidacy for president. Shortly after, NBC severed ties with Trump as well, backing out of broadcasting the pageant.
Alleging breach of contract, Trump sued Univision for $500 million and threatened NBC Universal with legal action. However, he acquired NBC Universal’s 51% stake in the pageant company as part of a settlement.
Trump then sold his share of the Miss Universe venture to media agency WME/IMG in September.
Although he settled with NBC Universal, Trump is pushing forward with his lawsuit against Univision, which earlier this month, asked a judge to dismiss the suit as “beyond frivolous.”
Azteca América’s decision to go after the “abandoned” pageant signals the network’s efforts to raise its visibility in the Spanish-language TV landscape.
