Bill Rasmussen, the mastermind behind ESPN, has died at the age of 93, the network has announced.
Rasmussen, who founded the sports broadcasting giant, passed away at his home in Florida from the effects of Parkinson’s disease on Tuesday.
ESPN hailed the visionary entrepreneur, who created the out-of-the-box idea of a 24-hour cable sports network, as a ‘game-changer’ as tributes poured in.
‘Bill was a remarkable man – a visionary and an innovator who conceived the idea of a network entirely devoted to sports,’ said ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro.
‘Quite simply, none of us would be here today if it wasn’t for Bill’s passion and all the hard work and entrepreneurial spirit he put into building ESPN in the late 1970s – key aspects of our company culture that still carry on to this day.’
Pitaro added: ‘One of my greatest thrills since joining ESPN was getting to know Bill on a personal level. I will always cherish the memory of catching the ceremonial first pitch that he threw at Fenway Park in Boston in celebration of our 40th anniversary. His legacy will always be a part of ESPN.’
Bill Rasmussen, the mastermind behind ESPN, has died at the age of 93
Rasmussen, who founded ESPN, passed away at his Florida from the effects of Parkinson’s
Rasmussen lost his wife of 56 years, Lois, in 2011. He is survived by his two sons, Scott and Glenn, and his daughter Lynn, as well as seven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
He conceived the idea of ESPN along with his son Scott in the 1970s as the technology of satellite delivery of television began to emerge – first solely as a Connecticut venture, and then as a national sports network.
Rasmussen had just been fired as communications director of the New England Whalers. He maxed out his credit card, and with his $9,000 advance, acquired valuable space on a communications satellite.
Many dismissed the idea of a round-the-clock cable sports network, believing it had no chance.
But Rasmussen proved them wrong with the Entertainment and Sports Programming network launching in 1.4 million homes on September 7, 1979.
Rasmussen served as the company’s first president and CEO but left ESPN after just a few years. He reconnected with the network in 1999 ahead of the network’s 20th anniversary.
Yet, despite his brief tenure, Rasmussen laid the groundwork for the network’s future success and astronomical growth.
‘Bill was our George Washington and a good friend,’ said veteran anchor Chris Berman, who joined ESPN three weeks after the original network launch in 1979.
The entrepreneur shakes hands with ESPN President Jimmy Pitaro at Fenway Park in 2019
‘He was such a grateful person and every sports fan can be grateful for Bill. He wasn’t a glass half-full guy; his glass was always overflowing with optimism. He greeted everyone with a smile and we can all smile knowing Bill’s legacy.’
In addition to SportsCenter, the network’s coverage of the early rounds of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament in early 1980 brought national attention to the fledgling broadcaster under Rasmussen’s early leadership.
While an initial meeting with the NFL did not yield immediate results, Rasmussen laid the groundwork of a relationship with the league which ultimately paved the way for ‘Monday Night Football.’
Following his time at ESPN, Rasmussen pursued other media ventures and engaged in public speaking. He also wrote a book about his ESPN experience, ‘Sports Junkies Rejoice: The Birth of ESPN.’
More to follow.
