MANILA – Good news, Kapamilyas! ABS-CBN is now a co-broadcaster of the 65th Miss Universe pageant.

Executives from ABS-CBN and Solar Entertainment signed on Thursday a contract that allows the airing of the international pageant on the Kapamilya network.

"I'm very happy because it's been weeks of hard work to get everybody together, and now finally we have ABS-CBN on board," said Wilson Tieng, president and chief executive officer of Solar Entertainment.

"Come January 30, 2017, all major TV networks will be doing a live broadcast of Miss Universe 2016," he added.

ABS-CBN's chief operating officer of broadcast Cory Vidanes, for her part, said: "We're very happy to be part of this with Solar and the other networks to bring to our Kapamilyas the Miss Universe on January 30. So abangan po ninyo."

• READ: Official ticket prices for 65th Miss Universe released

The 65th Miss Universe will be held at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City on January 30, 2017 at 8 a.m. Steve Harvey will be returning to the pageant as host, along with a still unnamed Filipina personality.

The country’s representative, Maxine Medina, is hoping to follow in the footsteps of reigning titleholder Pia Wurtzbach and score a back-to-back win for the Philippines.