Summary
Bill Rasmussen, who co-founded ESPN in 1979, died at age 93 from Parkinson’s disease. He and his son created the idea of a 24-hour sports network, which changed how Americans watch sports on TV.
Key Facts
- Bill Rasmussen co-founded ESPN in 1979 after leaving a public relations job in hockey.
- ESPN was the first TV channel devoted entirely to sports.
- The network launched on September 7, 1979, with its first show “SportsCenter.”
- Rasmussen and his son Scott came up with the idea for a national sports channel after originally planning a local Connecticut channel.
- They got financial support from Getty Oil and a rights deal with the NCAA on the same day.
- Rasmussen and his son were forced out of ESPN in 1980 when Getty Oil owned most of the company.
- Later, ABC bought ESPN from Texaco in 1984.
- Bill was recognized again by ESPN starting in 1999 and celebrated for his role in creating the sports network.
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