Emmy Award-winning journalist and trailblazing sportscaster MJ Acosta-Ruiz is an acclaimed sportscaster and anchor on SportsCenter, ESPN’s flagship show. Fully bilingual in English and Spanish, she is also the Monday Night Football sideline reporter for ESPN Deportes. She has covered sports, entertainment, and breaking news for over a decade following her tenure as a Miami Dolphins cheerleader.
Acosta-Ruiz joined NFL Network in 2018 from NBC and Telemundo in San Diego where she covered the Chargers, Padres and international soccer for three seasons in both English & Spanish language broadcasts as the lead sports anchor. Prior to joining NBC and Telemundo, Acosta-Ruiz spent three years as a reporter for WPLG, the ABC affiliate in Miami and Fort Lauderdale, covering sports, entertainment and breaking news. In her reporting, moderating, and as a keynote speaker, Acosta-Ruiz shares her insights on overcoming obstacles, embracing your authentic self as part of the path to success, and amplifying the voices of marginalized communities to create a more just world.
In addition to her work as an award-winning journalist, Acosta-Ruiz works as an advocate for women’s empowerment and representation and equity for marginalized communities. She works closely with women’s empowerment groups such as A Seat at the Table and is on the Board of Health in the Hood, a non-profit helping to close the gap of food inequity/insecurity in South Florida. Acosta-Ruiz is a sought-after speaker, sharing her inspirational journey and takeaways about strategizing for success, embracing what makes you different, and breaking barriers in her empowering talks.
