The Man Who Built ESPN | Greenville News

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

Bill Rasmussen, the visionary behind ESPN, died at 93 after a battle with Parkinson’s. His revolutionary idea—a 24-hour sports network—launched in 1979 with just $10 million and a dream bigger than any cable channel before it. Fired from a PR job, he teamed up with his son Scott to turn a local Connecticut sports channel into a national phenomenon using satellite tech. Though ousted by Getty Oil after a year, his legacy endured: ESPN honored him, celebrated his vision, and still lives by his spirit of boldness and optimism. He didn’t just change how we watch sports—he proved that passion…