Bill Rasmussen, ESPN co-founder, dies at 93

sportsAug 18, 202645695

Bill Rasmussen, the co-founder who launched ESPN as a 24-hour sports cable network in 1979, died Tuesday at age 93, the network said. ESPN attributed his death to the effects of Parkinson’s disease in a press release. Rasmussen, who had been fired as communications director of the New England Whalers in the late 1970s, borrowed on a credit card and used a $9,000 advance to secure satellite capacity that helped start the channel he founded with his son Scott. ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro praised Rasmussen as “a visionary and an innovator” whose passion and entrepreneurial spirit shaped the company’s culture. Rasmussen was inducted into the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame in 2025. The network he helped create became known as the “Worldwide Leader in Sports” and established the model of around-the-clock sports television.

Trey Fillmore

@treyfillmore.bsky.social

there is absolutely nothing more on the nose than ESPN founder Bill Rasmussen passing away, and *while hurriedly closing out* of their tribute to him, it *hard cut* to the The Pat McAfee Show

3439h ago

Michael44

RIP Bill Rasmussen you would have loved Big Balls Tuesday

silentintsaviewz.bsky.social1

The show must go on

Patronzo21

The clock in ESPN’s computer cut away during the tribute. Humans had very little to do with it Hopefully, McAfee picked up the thread

Quoting this

Velodus✨581

I'm not kidding when I say that this is one of the greatest metaphors you'll ever see in your life

Nick Coffman4

Pat McAfee, the country singer?

🌈😈4

"Now, we got sports all day, every day." "His legacy lives o-" "Hello, beautiful people. And welcome to our humble abode, the DraftKings Thunder Dome."

Blake (Strixtle)4

His legacy lives on in THE DRAFT KINGS THUNDER DOME!

Danny Page4

finally, we have a challenger to current king of cringe hard cuts youtu.be/D6QUsx68DCA?...

Bill Shea3

Another in the endless examples of a decadent empire in decline.

Dennis Tracy3

Reminds me of that scene in Veep where Selina’s funeral news gets bumped for the death of Tom Hanks. What a mess

Phil Lewis

@phillewis.bsky.social

Bill Rasmussen, sports TV visionary and founder of ESPN, dies at 93

13110h ago

Dave Jorgenson

@davejorgenson.bsky.social

At our shared alma mater, DePauw University, Bill Rasmussen agreed to cameo in a video where I pretended to streak past him in broad daylight. I will forever be grateful to him for that ... and for creating ESPN. www.espn.com/espn/story/_...

7510h ago

The Athletic

@theathletic.com

Bill Rasmussen, the founder of ESPN and innovator of around-the-clock sports television, died Tuesday at the age of 93, the network announced. The company said he died from the effects of Parkinson’s disease.

4810h ago

Michael

@scottgoblue314.bsky.social

RIP Bill Rasmussen you would have loved Big Balls Tuesday

448h ago

ESPN PR

@espnpr.bsky.social

ESPN remembers ESPN founder Bill Rasmussen The sports fan-turned broadcaster & entrepreneur whose out-of-the-box idea of a 24-hour cable sports network forever changed the landscape of sports media More on Rasmussen: bit.ly/4ghEUZY

1110h ago

Craig Pittman

@craigtimes.bsky.social

#RIP Bill Rasmussen, a onetime sportscaster for a Massachusetts TV station who borrowed $9,000 on his credit card on the way to launching the sports behemoth ESPN. He has died at his #Florida home at age 93. www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/b...

56h ago

Chicago Sun-Times

@chicago.suntimes.com

Rasmussen, born in Chicago, came up with the idea of the network with his son Scott. It would revolutionize Americans’ TV-watching habits.

78h ago

Riff Randell

@riffrandell.bsky.social

Hm. I wonder if he died as disappointed in ESPN as pretty much everyone. sports.yahoo.com/article/espn...

39h ago

Ben K.

@benjaminkabak.com

The founder of ESPN died from exposure to ESPN's current slate of brainless programming sponsored by sports gambling companies. RIP Bill Rasmussen.

79h ago

TheDesk.net

@thedesk.net

Bill Rasmussen, the co-founder of worldwide sports network ESPN, died this week at the age of 93.

33h ago

Brian Steinberg

@bristei.bsky.social

Bill Rasmussen, ESPN’s Founder, Dies at 93 variety.com/2026/tv/news... via @variety

310h ago

Cereal Fanatic

@cerealfanatic.bsky.social

This is a byproduct of ESPN cutting news resources. In the past, they would have SportsCenter on standby ready for something this. Instead, a clumsy First Take tribute gets cut off by Pat McAfee. Also, I wonder if anyone on the FT panel knew who Bill Rasmussen was before this.

38h ago