ESPN Founder Bill Rasmussen Dies At 93
Bill Rasmussen, a sports visionary who founded ESPN in 1979 with his son Scott as the world’s first 24-hour sports television network, died Tuesday at 93 of Parkinson’s disease at his home in Florida. Shrugging off skeptics, the pioneering Rasmussen – after being fired as communications director of the New England Whalers — acquired space […]
Bill Rasmussen, the founder of ESPN, has died at the age of 93. According to Deadline and Variety, he passed away due to Parkinson's disease at his home in Florida. Rasmussen founded ESPN in 1979 with his son Scott, launching the world's first 24-hour sports television network.
As reported by TheWrap, Rasmussen co-founded ESPN with his son Scott and Ed Eagan in 1978, and served as the network's first president and CEO when it launched in September 1979. TheWrap also quotes ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro, who shared a statement praising Rasmussen's vision, innovation, and entrepreneurial spirit.
Rasmussen's idea for an all-sports network came about in 1978 while he was stuck in traffic on Connecticut's Interstate 84, as Variety reported. Prior to founding ESPN, Rasmussen worked as communications director for the New England Whalers, from which he was fired, Deadline noted.
Brief written by urgent.news from Deadline, Variety, TheWrap, The Hollywood Reporter — 4 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
