CHRIS HARRISON RETURNS TO HOST THE 96TH MISS AMERICA COMPETITION

VETERAN ESPN PERSONALITY SAGE STEELE TO JOIN AS CO-HOST

'The 2017 Miss America Competition' to Broadcast Live Sunday, September 11 at 9:00 p.m. EDT, from Atlantic City's Boardwalk Hall on the ABC Television Network

The Miss America Organization, dick clark productions and ABC announced today that TV personality Chris Harrison (ABC's "The Bachelor" and "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire") will return as host of "The 2017 Miss America Competition" for his eighth year. Taking the Miss America stage for the first time, Sage Steele, host and commentator for ABC's and ESPN's "NBA Countdown," will join Harrison as co-host of the legendary competition, which airs live from Atlantic City's Boardwalk Hall on SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 11 (9:00 - 11:00 p.m. EDT), on the ABC Television Network. The evening will be filled with glitz and glam as 52 women compete for the coveted crown and scholarships.

"For 96 years, Miss America has shone light on some of the brightest and most talented young women in the country," said Harrison. "This year will surely be a fun-filled night showcasing talent, glamour, fitness, presentation and community achievement as the country's brightest compete for the crown!"

"There's always such a high level of drama and competitiveness during the Miss America competition that rivals many sporting events that I've covered," stated Steele. "I can't wait to host alongside Chris Harrison to see what this year brings."

Chris Harrison began his television career by covering local sports in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The Dallas, Texas, native went to Oklahoma City University on a soccer scholarship, and then made the natural transition to sportscasting with a local station. During his six years there, he worked his way up the ranks from part-time sportscaster to weekend sportscaster, and also had the opportunity to cover hard news stories. After moving to Los Angeles in 1999 and landing a job as host of HGTV's "Designer's Challenge," he went on to host ABC's hit romance/reality series "The Bachelor" and "The Bachelorette," and in 2015 was named the new host of the nationally syndicated game show "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire." In a departure from his many broadcast endeavors, Harrison recently penned his first novel entitled "The Perfect Letter," and has done his fair share of acting with roles in the popular television series "Alias," "The Practice," "Six Feet Under" and "Sabrina the Teenage Witch," and in feature films "Bounce," "Showtime," and "Date Movie." In his spare time Harrison plays soccer and has become addicted to golf. He has developed a great appreciation for the weather and lifestyle of Southern California, and spends as much time as possible outdoors with 14-year-old son, Joshua, and 12-year-old daughter, Taylor.

Sage Steele is one of ESPN's most versatile commentators, currently serving as the host of ESPN's and ABC's "NBA Countdown" on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays during the regular season and for on-site telecasts at the NBA Conference Finals and NBA Finals. Steele also hosts ESPN's extensive, on-site NBA All-Star coverage, ESPN's NBA Summer League coverage and contributes to SportsCenter. Steele was named "NBA Countdown" host prior to the start of the 2013-14 NBA regular season. In addition to her ESPN position, Steele has co-hosted ABC's and ESPN's "New Year's Rockin' Eve" coverage during the college football championship and has been a featured guest host on ABC's "The View." Steele began her television career as a reporter on local news stations in South Bend, Indiana, Indianapolis where she was the beat reporter for the Indianapolis Colts, and Tampa working as the beat reporter for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Steele graduated from Indiana University in 1995 with a Bachelor of Science degree in sports communications. In her spare time, Steele volunteers with the Pat Tillman Foundation and is passionate about working alongside military veterans. She enjoys horseback riding and spending time with her husband and three children.

dick clark productions and the Miss America Organization will collaborate on all creative, marketing, sponsorship, licensing, ticketing and distribution elements of this year's show. Tony Eaton and Tall Pony Productions will produce "The 2017 Miss America Competition."

Ticket information for "The 2017 Miss America Competition" will be announced soon.

For more information on "The 2017 Miss America Competition," please visit Miss America Organization's website at www.missamerica.org.

About The Miss America Organization

The Miss America Organization, a 501(c) 4 non-profit corporation, awards millions of dollars in annual college scholarship assistance making it the largest scholarship program for women in the United States. MAO is comprised of 52 licensed organizations which includes all 50 states, Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico. MAO contestants contribute over 500,000 hours of community service annually and have raised over $14 million for Children's Miracle Network Hospitals since 2007.