Bill Rasmussen, the co-founder of ESPN, died on Tuesday at his home in Land O'Lakes, Florida, aged 93, from complications of Parkinson's disease, with which he had been diagnosed in July 2019. New details of his story confirm he conceived the all-sports network after being fired as communications director of the New England Whalers, hitting on the idea while stuck in traffic with his son Scott, who groggily suggested he "play football all day for all I care". ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro and network personality Chris Berman, who called Rasmussen "the George Washington of ESPN", both paid tribute to his vision and entrepreneurial drive.

Rasmussen funded the venture's early days with a $9,000 credit card advance and bought land in Bristol, Connecticut, for $18,000 to house its satellite dish and headquarters. ESPN was incorporated in July 1978 after Getty Oil invested $15 million for an 85% stake, with Anheuser-Busch signing a near-$1.4 million exclusive advertising deal to help keep the venture afloat. The channel launched at 7pm on 7 September 1979 with a 30-minute SportsCenter, reaching an initial 1.4 million customers who watched a college football preview followed by softball coverage.