Women’s sport has been having a moment since the Matildas took to the world stage at the 2023 Women’s World Cup, and Tilly’s fever swept the nation. One of the most influential voices behind that momentum is Michelle Escobar, a former Optus Sport presenter.
As host and co-producer of The Women’s Football Wrap, the country’s only dedicated women’s football magazine show, she provided athletes with a platform to share their stories while tackling broader issues such as pay equity, diversity and inclusion in sport.
With her impact reaching far beyond the screen, influencing the internal culture of Optus Sport and ensuring the next generation of women in media have the support she did not always receive, we simply couldn’t overlook her for the B&T Women In Media Award in the Journalist/Producer category.
She has interviewed the likes of Mary Fowler, Alanna Kennedy, Bunny Shaw and Vivianne Miedema, and deepened Australians’ understanding of women’s football locally and globally but B&T were the lucky ones who got to interview her after her win.
With Optus Sport now closed, Escobar said that she is honoured to be “going out on a high”.
“After so many years of trying to push women’s football and women’s sport, to be recognised in this sort of way is just absolutely amazing”.
In her time as a presenter working in the sporting space, Escobar said that so much has changed. “11 years ago, women in sport was a novelty, and we had to make the most of the support we were given and not be afraid to stand up for ourselves. It is a male-dominated industry, and we have to stand up for ourselves no matter what,” she told B&T.
And Escobar has done exactly that. She has driven corporate and community engagement, hosting internal events to highlight women’s sport and supporting grassroots initiatives such as Fiona Crawford’s Rise of the Matildas book launch for young players and their families.
Escobar’s influence is also recognised externally through her judging role at Women in Sport Photo Action Awards (WISPAA) and her work with the Sydney Community Foundation, where she advocates for disadvantaged women.
The old saying goes that you can’t be what you can’t see so whether producing, presenting or mentoring. Escobar leverages her platform to make women’s voices in sport louder, stronger and impossible to ignore. While Optus Sport is no more, Escobar’s efforts helped make it an incredible platform.
