TV Ratings Reference

Miss Universe Pageant Viewership 1974 - 2007

July 13th, 2008

Remember when beauty pageants were a big deal? I do. Not so much anymore. Tonight's Miss Universe pageant ratings have suffered like many other big TV "events".

We don't have viewership data for 1982 and 1987, but we do have HH rating and household data below. The date of the pageant has bounced around, and one reason for the plunge from 1986 to 1987 was a shift from mid-July to late May. Donald Trump bought the pageant in 1996 and has proved to have no magic touch. Other pageants have faced similar ratings declines, but it is quite an eye opener that those late 60's Miss America pageants were watched by about as many people as the Super Bowls of the same years.

Complete Miss Universe Pageant Ratings, 1974-2007:

Year	Viewers (million)	Network	HH Rating	Share	Homes (million)
1974	35.58	CBS	24.7	54	16.35
1975	32.70	CBS	22.4	50	15.34
1976	36.39	CBS	24.3	53	16.91
1977	27.31	CBS	19.6	45	13.96
1978	34.58	CBS	25.0	43	18.23
1979	32.18	CBS	22.7	42	16.91
1980	37.84	CBS	24.1	40	18.39
1981	35.17	CBS	25.4	44	19.76
1982		CBS	24.7	43	20.13
1983	34.71	CBS	22.6	38	18.83
1984	34.49	CBS	21.2	36	17.77
1985	30.17	CBS	20.3	35	17.23
1986	32.53	CBS	21.2	37	18.21
1987		CBS	15.5	24	13.55
1988	21.61	CBS	15.7	24	13.91
1989	13.36	CBS	9.6	15	8.68
1990	21.22	CBS	14.4	24	13.26
1991	20.66	CBS	13.9	26	12.94
1992	14.02	CBS	9.5	17	8.75
1993	14.87	CBS	9.9	18	9.22
1994	11.87	CBS	8.5	16	8.01
1995	9.17	CBS	6.6	12	6.30
1996	11.92	CBS	8.3	15	7.98
1997	13.17	CBS	9.8	18	9.54
1998	12.26	CBS	8.7	14	8.50
1999	10.96	CBS	8	13	7.97
2000	8.61	CBS	6.1	11	6.11
2001	8.27	CBS	5.8	11	5.91
2002	11.34	CBS	8.1	13	8.51
2003	12.07	NBC	7.9	13	8.42
2004	10.48	NBC	6.9	11	7.48
2005	9.19	NBC	6.1	10	6.72
2006	9.65	NBC	6	10	6.62
2007	7.23	NBC	4.5	8	5.01