The Man Who Built ESPN From Scratch | Tucson News

Tucson News Today | 2 Min Now | The Daily News Now! · Aug 18, 2026 · 1m

Bill Rasmussen, co-founder of ESPN and former New England Whalers employee who was fired in the late 70s, turned his setback into a media revolution—maxing out his credit card to buy satellite rights, then launching ESPN with his son Scott in 1979. What began as a cable channel from Connecticut exploded into the “Worldwide Leader in Sports,” reshaping how we watch sports forever. At 93, he died from Parkinson’s complications, leaving behind a legacy honored by ESPN’s current chairman and enshrined in the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame. His vision, hustle, and innovation remain the beating…