Florida, Aug 18 (V7N)- Bill Rasmussen, co-founder of US sports broadcaster ESPN, has died at the age of 93. He died at his home in Florida on Tuesday (August 18), ESPN reported.

According to the broadcaster, Rasmussen died from complications related to Parkinson's disease. He was diagnosed with the disease in 2014 and publicly disclosed his condition in 2019.

ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro paid tribute to Rasmussen, describing him as a visionary and innovator who first conceived the idea of a television network dedicated entirely to sports.

“None of us would be here today without Bill's passion, hard work and entrepreneurial spirit,” Pitaro said. He added that the values Rasmussen established while building ESPN in the late 1970s continue to influence the organization's culture.

How ESPN began

In 1979, Bill Rasmussen and his son Scott Rasmussen developed the idea of creating a television network that would broadcast sports around the clock. At the time, there was no comparable dedicated sports network in the United States.

Rasmussen initially planned to broadcast sporting events only in Connecticut. But when cable operators showed little interest, the plan was expanded to reach a national audience through satellite broadcasting.

ESPN officially launched on September 7, 1979. George Grande hosted the first edition of SportsCenter, followed by the network's first live broadcast, a slow-pitch softball game between the Kentucky Bourbons and Milwaukee Schlitz.

Grande later recalled that no one knew whether the new network would survive for four weeks or four years, let alone more than four decades.

Started with about $9,000

The Rasmussens secured financial backing from Getty Oil and obtained a broadcasting rights agreement with the NCAA. Construction began on a studio in Bristol, Connecticut, although the facility was not fully completed when ESPN went on air.

The financing arrangement and NCAA agreement were finalized on the same day.

Rasmussen later recalled that whenever people told him something could not be done, it strengthened his determination to prove them wrong. Many doubted there would be enough sporting events to sustain a 24-hour sports channel, but he remained convinced the idea would work.

However, the Rasmussens did not remain in control of ESPN for long. Both were removed from the network in 1980. At the time, Getty Oil owned about 85 percent of ESPN. After Texaco acquired Getty, it eventually sold its stake in ESPN to ABC in 1984.

ESPN recognized his contribution

Rasmussen's relationship with ESPN remained distant for years, but the network later began recognizing his contribution to its creation.

In 1999, ESPN invited him to a program marking the company's 20th anniversary. Two decades later, Rasmussen traveled across the United States during ESPN's 40th-anniversary celebrations and participated in events organized by ESPN and the Walt Disney Company.

“Bill was our ‘George Washington’ and a good friend,” former ESPN host Bob Lay said. “He was always a grateful man. Every sports fan is grateful to Bill.”

From advertising to sports broadcasting

Born in Chicago, Rasmussen earned degrees from DePauw University and Rutgers University before serving in the US Air Force.

He worked in advertising, radio and television during the 1960s. In 1974, he joined the New England Whalers of the World Hockey Association in Hartford, Connecticut, as director of public relations.

He lost that job in 1978 after the team's administrative structure was dismantled. He then teamed up with his son Scott to pursue the idea of creating a nationwide sports television network.

The father and son reportedly used a credit-card advance of about $9,000 as initial funding for the venture.

Former ESPN host Bob Lay described their decision as an example of extraordinary courage, foresight and confidence—and a remarkable illustration of the American Dream.

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