Beauty pageants are losing relevance among younger generations, despite retaining their appeal among older audiences. This generational divide has led to declining interest and lower viewership, raising questions about the long-term viability of such events.
Miss USA has experienced a particularly stark drop in viewership across all age groups. In 2015, the show had one million viewers compared to the 10 million viewers in 1999. Since 2015, its viewership has fluctuated but remained largely unchanged, with 2024 seeing a modest 1.1 million viewers.
Pageants like Miss USA have struggled to attract new viewers for a variety of reasons. Values amongst younger generations have been some of the biggest hurdles to bringing interest towards these competitions. Many within Gen Z see beauty pageants like Miss USA as inauthentic and relying on strict and conservative views of femininity.
Additionally, these pageants have largely continued to be promoted on cable networks, an avenue that younger people have been leaving behind for the internet and social media.
To attract younger viewers, Miss USA must expand its advertising to social media and move beyond traditional definitions of femininity, aligning with the more progressive values held by Gen Z women.
