Bill Rasmussen, the founder of ESPN, has sadly passed away at the age of 93. ESPN confirmed his death via a press release.
Videos by Wide Open Country
"Bill was a remarkable man - a visionary and an innovator who conceived the idea of a network entirely devoted to sports," ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro wrote in the press release. "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."
Pitaro then continued by noting his pleasure at getting to know Rasmussen after accepting his job at ESPN.
"One of my greatest thrills since joining ESPN was getting to know Bill on a personal level. I will always cherish the memory of catching the ceremonial first pitch that he threw at Fenway Park in Boston in celebration of our 40th anniversary. His legacy will always be a part of ESPN."
Rasmussen and his son Scott came up with the idea for ESPN back in 1978, while stuck in traffic. Just one year later, the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network was launched in 1.4 million homes. The name was later changed to ESPN in 1984.
Bill Rasmussen Had a Significant Impact on the Success of ESPN
Rasmussen was a key figure in building up ESPN. In 1979, he was named as the chairman of the company, with Chet Simmons succeeding him as president. Under Rasmussen's leadership, he ushered in the 24/7 sports programming that we all came to love, along with coverage of things such as NCAA basketball.
"Bill was our George Washington and a good friend," veteran anchor Chris Berman said via ESPN's press release. "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."
Currently, there has been no information regarding Rasmussen's cause of death. Furthermore, no details of any impending funeral have been made public.
