Home » Sports » ESPN founder Bill Rasmussen dies aged 93 after Parkinson’s battle
Bill Rasmussen, the former local news sports director who founded ESPN and helped pioneer the 24-hour sports cable network, has died at the age of 93 following a battle with Parkinson’s disease. The announcement was made via ESPN’s official Instagram account.
The post stated, “ESPN founder Bill Rasmussen, whose out-of-the-box idea of a 24-hour cable sports network forever changed the landscape of sports media, died today at the age of 93. A game-changer for the ages. Thank you for everything, Bill.”
ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro paid tribute, describing Rasmussen as “a remarkable man — a visionary and an innovator who conceived the idea of a network entirely devoted to sports.” He added, “Quite simply, none of us would be here today if it wasn’t for Bill’s passion and all the hard work and entrepreneurial spirit he put into building ESPN in the late 1970s — key aspects of our company culture that still carry on to this day.”
Rasmussen was credited with introducing round-the-clock sports programming and the coverage of the early rounds of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament in the spring of 1980, which helped draw national attention to ESPN, according to Variety.
As of 2026, ESPN employs more than 5,900 people worldwide and operates eight US television networks, plus the sports programming on ABC. Its offerings also include a mobile app, a direct-to-consumer service, radio programmes, podcasts, and digital and social media feeds.
Now controlled by Disney, with Hearst and the NFL as minority investors, ESPN is home to sports staples such as “Monday Night Football,” the talk show “First Take,” and extensive NFL and NBA coverage, among other sports, Variety reported.
Chris Berman, who joined ESPN three weeks after its launch in 1979, described Rasmussen as “our George Washington and a good friend.” Berman said, “He was such a grateful person and every sports fan can be grateful for Bill. He wasn’t a glass half-full guy; his glass was always overflowing with optimism. He greeted everyone with a smile and we can all smile knowing Bill’s legacy.”
Rasmussen was predeceased by his wife of 56 years, Lois, in 2011. He is survived by two sons, Scott Rasmussen and his wife Laura, and Glenn Rasmussen; his daughter Lynn Van Hollebeke and her husband Louie; seven grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.
This story is written by TNM Bureau with inputs from ANI. The News Mill is a Guwahati-based digital media with focus on content from across Northeast India and beyond. We can be reached through [email protected]