The Man Who Built ESPN | Hattiesburg News

Bill Rasmussen, the visionary co-founder of ESPN, passed away at 93 after a battle with Parkinson’s, leaving behind a legacy that reshaped sports media. His bold dream? A 24/7 sports network — starting small with Connecticut games, then exploding nationally with Getty Oil’s backing and the debut of “SportsCenter” in 1979. Though ousted by Getty just a year later, his entrepreneurial spirit and passion became the bedrock of ESPN’s culture. Reunited with the network decades later, he toured the country celebrating its 40th anniversary, inspiring fans and proving skeptics wrong — from a fired hockey league job to building a global sports empire, Rasmussen embodied the American dream for every sports fan. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/d572d666e2c5f800