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The agency made the announcement on Twitter on Monday morning.
WME IMG has acquired The Miss Universe Organization, which includes MISS UNIVERSE®, MISS USA®, and MISS TEEN USA®: pic.twitter.com/73KNDsmhMM
- IMG (@IMG) September 14, 2015
Trump issued the following statement:
"I have truly enjoyed owning the Miss Universe, Miss USA, and Miss Teen USA pageants. When I purchased the pageants many years ago, they were in serious trouble. It has been a great honor making them so successful … The pageants are now in the hands of a great company that will shepherd them to even greater levels of success."
According to Trump's financial disclosure forms with the Federal Election Commission, The Miss Universe Organization has a value between $5 million and $25 million.
Just purchased NBC's half of The Miss Universe Organization and settled all lawsuits against them. Now own 100% -- stay tuned!
- Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 11, 2015
Earlier this year, NBCUniversal's NBC and Univision networks refused to air the Miss USA pageant after Trump made controversial statements about Mexican immigrants while he announced his presidential run. In a last-minute deal, the Reelz channel aired the pageant. There it drew 4 million fewer viewers than the year before when the pageant aired on NBC.