Bill Rasmussen, the entrepreneur who turned a $9,000 maxed‑out credit card gamble into ESPN, the world's first 24‑hour sports television network, has died at his home in Florida aged 93. ESPN confirmed he passed away from complications of Parkinson's disease, with which he was diagnosed in 2014 and which he disclosed publicly in 2019.
Rasmussen's death closes the story of a man who, more than four decades ago, reshaped sports broadcasting. Before ESPN launched in 1979, live sport on television was largely confined to weekends, major event broadcasts and late‑night highlights, with little mid‑week coverage beyond primetime fixtures.
