The First ESPN Broadcast

On September 7, 1979, ESPN went on the air from a single acre in Bristol, Connecticut, opening with the first edition of SportsCenter. Bill Rasmussen, out of work a year earlier, had leased a satellite transponder full time because it cost less than renting a few hours, then had to figure out what to put on it. Seven investors had already said no. About thirty thousand people were watching. What followed reshaped college schedules, cable bills, and how Americans watch sports.Send me a text!Support the show