ESPN founder Bill Rasmussen dies at 93: What happened to the ‘father of sports television’?

Bill Rasmussen, the architect behind ESPN, has died at the age of 93 on Tuesday. Known as as the “father of sports television”, Rasmussen died due to complications from Parkinson's disease at his residence in Florida. he is survived by his two sons Scott Rasmussen and Glenn Rasmussen. His wife of 56 years Lois had passed away in 2011.

"ESPN founder Bill Rasmussen, whose out-of-the-box idea of a 24-hour cable sports network forever changed the landscape of sports media, died today at the age of 93. A game-changer for the ages. Thank you for everything, Bill," read a post from ESPN.

Honouring Bill, ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro in a statement, said, Bill was a remarkable man -- a visionary and an innovator who conceived the idea of a network entirely devoted to sports."

Jimmy added, "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."

How big is ESPN in 2026?

Rasmussen also introduced round-the-clock sports programming and coverage of the early rounds of the NCAA men's basketball tournament in the spring of 1980, which drew national attention to ESPN, Variety reported.

In 2026, ESPN employs more than 5,900 employees around the world, and programs eight U.S. television networks plus the sports programming on ABC, along with a mobile app and a burgeoning and direct-to-consumer service, a suite of radio programs and podcasts and social and digital feeds. The outlet, now controlled by Disney, with Hearst and the NFL counted as minority investors, is home to such sports staples as "Monday Night Football," the hot-talk show "First Take" and hours and hours of NFL and NBA telecasts, among other sports coverage," as per Variety.

"Bill was our George Washington and a good friend," said Chris Berman, who joined ESPN three weeks after the network launched in 1979, in a statement. "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."

Bill Rasmussen's career

Rasmussen started his professional journey at a radio station in Atlanta in 1962. Three years later he relocated to Springfield and served as a Sports Director for eight years and subsequently as News Director for two years.

He was appointed as the Communications Director for the New England Whalers hockey team in 1974 and remained in that position till the conclusion of the 1977-78 season. He established ESPN in 1978.

A year later in September 1979, ESPN began its broadcasts. along with his son Scott, Rasmussen launched the first 24-hour cable television network. The popular show SportsCentre was a brainchild of Bill, as well as the coverage of March Madness and the College World Series.

With agency inputs