Bill Rasmussen dies at 93: Sports world pays tribute to ESPN founder after death

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Bill Rasmussen dies at 93: Sports world pays tribute to ESPN founder after death originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Bill Rasmussen, the sports enthusiast and entrepreneur who founded ESPN, died Tuesday. He was 93 years old.

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ESPN announced Rasmussen's death Tuesday morning. The famed television executive spent time as a sports broadcaster and public relations man before conjuring up the idea of creating a network dedicated exclusively to sports. The idea stuck. ESPN has since become one of the most resilient brands in all of media, broadcasting into nearly 70 million homes in 2024, according to Sports Business Journal.

Rasmussen was predeceased by his wife, Lois. He is survived by sons Scott and Glenn and daughter Lynn, seven grandchildren and two great grandchildren.

Here's what you need to know about Rasmussen's passing.

Bill Rasmussen dies at 93

Rasmussen died on Tuesday morning, ESPN announced.

“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 said in a statement. “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.”

Bill Rasmussen cause of death

Rasmussen died of effects of Parkinson's Disease, ESPN announced. He was diagnosed with the illness in 2014.

Rasmussen was open about his life with the disorder, announcing in a 2019 ESPN Front Row piece that he was living with the illness.

"For some reason, Parkinson’s is kind of an orphaned malady – people don’t like to talk about it, as if it were taboo," Rasmussen said of the disease. "Well, 40 years ago, people didn’t want to talk about a 24-hour sports network either as if competing with “The Big Three” broadcast networks was taboo.

"We never stopped asking questions, solving problems and selling the dream. A lot of really good people did believe and we see the results of that effort today.

"Let’s tackle Parkinson’s with the same enthusiastic effort. I’ll be talking a lot about PD in the weeks and months ahead – not as a victim, but as living, breathing proof that when you or a loved one hears the dreaded words, 'Uou have Parkinson’s disease,” life is not over – it’s just the beginning of a new chapter."

Bill Rasmussen tributes

The sports media world came together to pay tribute to Rasmussen. Here's a look at some of the most notable reactions to Rasmussen's passing.

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