Miss USA contestants sold vacation packages and asked fans to buy votes. It's the CEO's latest effort to stay relevant.
The Miss USA 2026 pageant featured a series of changes, including an emphasis on fans paying for votes and contestants selling vacation packages.
At the 2026 Miss USA pageant held on August 27 in Miami, contestants promoted paid voting to fans. The pageant theater was filled with excited supporters using their phones to vote for their favorite contestants. Voting options ranged from $50 for 50 votes to $500 for 500 votes. As the clock counted down, fans could see their votes reflected in real-time on the pageant's website, with a banner announcing "double votes" as the final moments approached.
In the end, the top two contestants were separated by 1,794 votes, a record high in the competition's history. This paid voting system was introduced by Miss USA CEO Thom Brodeur, who believes it's a way to stay relevant and engage fans, especially at a time when pageants struggle to remain financially viable. However, some contestants and fans argue that this pay-to-play model makes the competition less accessible for women who cannot afford the high costs or have limited social media influence.
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