ESPN Legend Bill Rasmussen Dead at 93

Bill Rasmussen has died at the age of 93 after battling Parkinson’s disease.

He was the man behind the content idea that is 24 hours of sports. Without him, there’d be no SportsCenter and no ESPN.

Rasmussen, who revealed his Parkinson’s diagnosis in 2019, was the visionary behind the cable network. He and his son Scott Rasmussen co-founded ESPN along with Ed Fagan in 1978. The network officially launched in September 1979 with the elder Rasmussen serving as president and CEO.

As ESPN.com wrote Tuesday morning, Rasmussen maxed out his credit card and with a $9,000 advance to acquire valuable space on a communications satellite which was eventually used to birth ESPN.

The rest, as they say, is history.

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 ❤️ pic.twitter.com/hOCy8QyUEo

— ESPN (@espn) August 18, 2026

Despite co-founding the broadcasting giant, Rasmussen was bought out by ABC early in his tenure as president and CEO after investors took away a significant amount of his power and salary. He walked away from ESPN in September 1980.

His relationship with ESPN was frosty following his exit until things began to thaw in the late ‘90s and early 2000s. In fall 2005, ESPN dedicated a plaque and flagpole to Rasmussen on their Bristol, Connecticut campus. 

The next step in his career included involvement with Enterprise Radio Network, again alongside his son, Scott. Bill Rasmussen also authored a book, Sports Junkies Rejoice: The Birth of ESPN.

Legendary ESPN broadcaster Chris Berman told ESPN.com: “Bill was our George Washington and a good friend. 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.”

Rasmussen is survived by his two sons, a daughter, seven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.