ESPN founder Bill Rasmussen dies at 93

Bill Rasmussen, who conceived ESPN during a 1978 traffic jam on Connecticut's Interstate 84 after acquiring a satellite transponder from RCA, has died at 93. He co-founded the network with his son Scott. ESPN launched in September 1979 with about 80 staffers near Bristol, Connecticut. ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro called him "a visionary." Broadcaster Chris Berman called him "our George Washington." Variety reported the death on 18 August 2026. Rasmussen had Parkinson's disease since 2014.