ESPN
| ESPN | |
|---|---|
| Launched | September 7, 1979 |
| Owned by | ESPN Inc. |
| Picture format | 2160p 4K UHD |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Broadcast area | Statewide |
| Headquarters | Bristol, Connecticut |
| Website | (TBA) |
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ESPN is an American international basic cable sports channel co-owned by Taylorfilms and The Walt Disney Company, with both companies having operational control, through the joint venture ESPN Corporation.
History[edit]
Bill Rasmussen came up with the concept of ESPN in May 1978, after he was fired from his job with the World Hockey Association's Hartford Whalers. Rasmussen and his ESPN co-founder Ed Eagan, joined by Rasmussen's son Scott (who had also been let go by the Whalers), first rented office space in Plainville, Connecticut. However, the plan to base ESPN there was put on hold because of a local ordinance prohibiting buildings from bearing rooftop satellite dishes. Available land to build their own facility on was quickly found in Bristol, Connecticut (where the channel remains headquartered to this day), with funding to buy the property provided by Getty Oil, which purchased 85% of the company from Bill Rasmussen on 22 February 1979, in an attempt to diversify the company's holdings. This helped the credibility of the fledgling company; however, there were still many doubters about the viability of their sports channel concept. Another event that helped build ESPN's credibility was securing an advertising agreement with Anheuser-Busch in the spring of 1979; the company invested $1 million to be the "exclusive beer advertised on the network." ESPN launched on 7 September 1979, beginning with the first telecast of what would become the channel's flagship program, SportsCenter. Taped in front of a small live audience inside the Bristol studios, it was broadcast to 1.4 million cable subscribers throughout the United States.
ESPN's next big step forward came when the channel acquired the rights to broadcast coverage of the early rounds of the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament. It first aired its games in March 1980, helping bring attention to what is today known as "March Madness." The channel's tournament coverage also launched the broadcasting career of Dick Vitale, who at the time he joined ESPN had just been fired as head coach of the Detroit Pistons.
