Willow Bay: Reimagining the Future of Women’s Sports

Willow Bay has spent her career telling powerful stories. Now, she’s helping reshape who gets to be at the center of them. As a longtime journalist and now the dean of USC Annenberg, Willow has worked across nearly every major television network, building a career at the intersection of media, leadership, and storytelling. Alongside her husband, Disney CEO Bob Iger, she’s also the co-owner of Angel City FC, one of the most valuable teams in women’s sports. Willow also shares her perspective on why giving athletes the tools to tell their own stories may be the most powerful shift happening in sports today. Maria and Willow also discuss what it means to reimagine an entire sports ecosystem with women at the center, how to spot opportunity early, and the challenge of overcoming imposter syndrome at the highest levels. All that and more on this episode of Pretty Tough. Pretty Tough is produced in partnership with VOX MEDIA. Listen to every episode on your favorite podcast platform Follow Maria on Instagram Follow Maria on X Follow Pretty Tough on Instagram Subscribe to Pretty Tough on Substack 00:00 – Intro: Beating Imposter Syndrome 01:14 – Welcome Willow Bay 02:49 – The Power of Listening More & Speaking Less 03:57 – Investing in Angel City FC: Why Now? 05:07 – Convincing Bob Iger to Buy into the NWSL 06:53 – The Business of Storytelling in Women's Sports 08:44 – Breaking Barriers in the Sports Boardroom 11:09 – Early Days: NBA Inside Stuff & Athlete Storytelling 13:58 – The Rise of Athlete-Owned Media Brands 17:16 – Closing the Gap for Women in Sports Media 18:24 – Reimagining the Sports Universe for Women 20:00 – Traditional Media vs. Athlete-Controlled Narratives 21:40 – The Enduring Power of Live Sports 23:45 – Maria Sharapova on Losing Control to the Press 26:26 – Dealing with Harsh Headlines & The "Banana" Story 30:54 – Standing on Your Skills to Beat Imposter Syndrome 32:45 – The Shaq & Suzy Shuster Story: Accountability in Journalism 35:48 – Dinner at the Iger-Bay Household 41:00 – Pretty Tough Questions: Erasing Self-Doubt 41:43 – The Morning Routine for a Resilient Mind 42:15 – Getting "Under the Hood" of Leadership 43:40 – Final Thoughts: What Makes Willow Bay Pretty Tough Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices