TMZSports.com
Women’s sports are surging — Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, and others have become superstars — and now Joy Taylor and MJ Acosta-Ruiz are set to bring even more attention to some of the best female athletes in the world … thanks to their new TV show!
Taylor and Acosta-Ruiz, top TV hosts and media personalities for FS1 and NFL Network, respectively, are not only set to host, but also executive produce season 2 of the Fuse Media show, “Like A Girl” … which gives an inside look at the major successes, as well as the plights, of top female athletes, on and off the field/court/pitch.
TMZ Sports had a conversation with both women … who broke the news about the upcoming project — set to air this summer.
“We are very excited about ‘Like A Girl,’ season two. And, not only is this an incredible time for this show to be coming out, but MJ and I are also executive producers on the show as well. So it’s not just that we are hosting, but we are also pouring ourselves into the interviews and the incredible athletes and figures that we’re going to talk to on the show,” Taylor told us.
Of course, women’s sports are having a moment. Record ratings for the NCAA Tourney, the WNBA Draft, and so on.
“We’ve been very connected to this for pretty much our entire lives. And, it feels like the rest of the world is finally catching on to what we already knew,” MJ said, adding … “So to be able to tell these stories and to be as intentional as possible about the stories we tell, how we tell them, and giving not just the platform and the voice, but really the equity to these athletes is really, really important for us.”
FYI, the first season of the show featured conversations with Olympic gold medalist April Ross, WNBA star Angel McCoughtry, and Paralympic champ Anastasia Pagonis.
We also asked the women about the impact the show could have on young girls … who either wish to be athletes, or even follow in the footsteps of MJ and Joy.
“We always have that in mind,” Acosta-Ruiz said, adding, “and even for us in the broadcast space, knowing that there’s a reflection of the young girls who admire us, who look like us, who are just trying to see that these things are available to them. And then, you extend that into the sports world for all of these [athletes].”
MJ continued … “I’ve been to more softball games and youth soccer games, and it’s just incredible to see how hardcore and how hard these girls go. And so, now that they have this platform and now an entire show that is dedicated to this, that goes a really long way.”
On a personal level, aside from all the good the show aims to do, it’s a special moment for Joy and MJ … who have been besties since college.
“It literally is a full circle moment. And to have this be a woman-centric show highlighting female athletes, it could not be more perfect.”
Check out the full convo with MJ and Joy!