"Sports Junkies Rejoice! The Birth of ESPN” Reveals the Inside Story of ESPN From ESPN Founder Bill Rasmussen
Philadelphia, PA – September 7, 2010 – On September 7, 1979, ESPN went on the air for the first time. Entrepreneurial daring, irrepressible enthusiasm and a dash of good luck gave the world the first 24-hour television network. Once unleashed upon sports fans, ESPN’s impact forever changed the way we watch television. Bill Rasmussen is the man who had the dream, the founder of ESPN. He has revealed the inside story of the birth of ESPN in his book, “Sports Junkies Rejoice! The Birth of ESPN,” now available in a new paperback edition at bookstores everywhere, including Amazon.com and ESPNFounder.com
If you pride yourself on knowing everything there is to know about ESPN, you'll need to own this book to cover all the bases. Do you know about the $9,000 credit card advance, the first advertiser on ESPN, or the cost of ESPN's first satellite transponder? Or why ESPN is based in Bristol, Connecticut? All that and more about the early days is covered by Rasmussen in “Sports Junkies Rejoice! The Birth of ESPN.”
“Sports Junkies Rejoice! The Birth of ESPN” is Rasmussen’s personal account of the launch of the Total Sports Network that he founded over 30 years ago. A life-long entrepreneur and sports fan, Rasmussen’s book reveals his pivotal innovations in advertising, sports and broadcasting , including the creation of “Sports Center,” wall-to-wall coverage of NCAA regular-season and “March Madness” college basketball, and coverage of the NFL Draft.
“Sports Junkies Rejoice! The Birth of ESPN” gives sports fan the real insider’s account from the man who changed the landscape of television and sports forever. Imagine a world without ESPN, without 24-hour television channels, and a world of only three television networks. That was the way of the world before Rasmussen’s revolutionary brainstorm, born of adversity and launched despite the odds.
Readers of “Sports Junkies Rejoice! The Birth of ESPN” will learn how Rasmussen came up with the idea for ESPN, how he persevered in spite of the naysayers, and how his ideas connected with America’s sports fans and eventually, fans around the world.
ESPN anchor and personality Chris Berman called Rasmussen “the George Washington of ESPN. His accomplishments, however, transcend the boundaries of the sports arena into areas beyond our wildest dreams.”
“Bill Rasmussen’s Sports Junkies Rejoice is a Horatio Alger story in space-age America,” said the Hartford Courant. “It’s a fascinating diary of his journey through uncharted (television) waters.”
Named “The Father of Cable Sports” by USA Today, Rasmussen was named to The Sports 100, honoring the 100 most important people in American Sports History. His place in sports history was further recognized by Sports Illustrated in 1994, when he was honored as one of the “Forty for the Ages,” one of forty individuals who has significantly altered and elevated the world of sport.
Rasmussen is a gifted raconteur and a popular public speaker discussing American entrepreneurship and the birth of ESPN. He is also a frequent guest on radio and television shows. His recent tour of college campuses across America included speaking engagements at Princeton University, the University of Florida, The Center for Sports Leadership at Virginia Commonwealth University and the 2010 Maastricht Institute of Entrepreneurship at Missouri Valley College. Rasmussen also recently delivered the keynote address at the Centennial Celebration of Lambda Chi Alpha in Indianapolis. He was a featured speaker at the 2010 College Sports Information Directors of America Convention in San Francisco in July, and is slated to give the keynote at the 17th Annual CEO Forum at the University of Saint Francis (Fort Wayne, Indiana) on October 21st.
Rasmussen recently launched his new website, ESPNFounder.com, providing detailed information on the entrepreneurial career of one of the 100 most important people in American sports history. On ESPNFounder.com, sports fans of all ages can: learn more about the start of ESPN; watch video highlights of Rasmussen’s recent speaking engagements on college campuses and venues around the country; view photographs of Rasmussen’s career highlights including historical images from the launch of ESPN; read Rasmussen’s comments on current events in sports on “Bill’s Blog;” and contact Rasmussen directly to schedule a speaking engagement for your organization through the “Share the Dream” pages. You can also purchase copies of the new paperback edition of Rasmussen’s bestselling book at ESPNFounder.com.
Media Contact:
Jim DeLorenzo
Phone: 215-564-1122
E-mail: jim@jhdenterprises.com
If you pride yourself on knowing everything there is to know about ESPN, you'll need to own this book to cover all the bases. Do you know about the $9,000 credit card advance, the first advertiser on ESPN, or the cost of ESPN's first satellite transponder? Or why ESPN is based in Bristol, Connecticut? All that and more about the early days is covered by Rasmussen in “Sports Junkies Rejoice! The Birth of ESPN.”
“Sports Junkies Rejoice! The Birth of ESPN” is Rasmussen’s personal account of the launch of the Total Sports Network that he founded over 30 years ago. A life-long entrepreneur and sports fan, Rasmussen’s book reveals his pivotal innovations in advertising, sports and broadcasting , including the creation of “Sports Center,” wall-to-wall coverage of NCAA regular-season and “March Madness” college basketball, and coverage of the NFL Draft.
“Sports Junkies Rejoice! The Birth of ESPN” gives sports fan the real insider’s account from the man who changed the landscape of television and sports forever. Imagine a world without ESPN, without 24-hour television channels, and a world of only three television networks. That was the way of the world before Rasmussen’s revolutionary brainstorm, born of adversity and launched despite the odds.
Readers of “Sports Junkies Rejoice! The Birth of ESPN” will learn how Rasmussen came up with the idea for ESPN, how he persevered in spite of the naysayers, and how his ideas connected with America’s sports fans and eventually, fans around the world.
ESPN anchor and personality Chris Berman called Rasmussen “the George Washington of ESPN. His accomplishments, however, transcend the boundaries of the sports arena into areas beyond our wildest dreams.”
“Bill Rasmussen’s Sports Junkies Rejoice is a Horatio Alger story in space-age America,” said the Hartford Courant. “It’s a fascinating diary of his journey through uncharted (television) waters.”
Named “The Father of Cable Sports” by USA Today, Rasmussen was named to The Sports 100, honoring the 100 most important people in American Sports History. His place in sports history was further recognized by Sports Illustrated in 1994, when he was honored as one of the “Forty for the Ages,” one of forty individuals who has significantly altered and elevated the world of sport.
Rasmussen is a gifted raconteur and a popular public speaker discussing American entrepreneurship and the birth of ESPN. He is also a frequent guest on radio and television shows. His recent tour of college campuses across America included speaking engagements at Princeton University, the University of Florida, The Center for Sports Leadership at Virginia Commonwealth University and the 2010 Maastricht Institute of Entrepreneurship at Missouri Valley College. Rasmussen also recently delivered the keynote address at the Centennial Celebration of Lambda Chi Alpha in Indianapolis. He was a featured speaker at the 2010 College Sports Information Directors of America Convention in San Francisco in July, and is slated to give the keynote at the 17th Annual CEO Forum at the University of Saint Francis (Fort Wayne, Indiana) on October 21st.
Rasmussen recently launched his new website, ESPNFounder.com, providing detailed information on the entrepreneurial career of one of the 100 most important people in American sports history. On ESPNFounder.com, sports fans of all ages can: learn more about the start of ESPN; watch video highlights of Rasmussen’s recent speaking engagements on college campuses and venues around the country; view photographs of Rasmussen’s career highlights including historical images from the launch of ESPN; read Rasmussen’s comments on current events in sports on “Bill’s Blog;” and contact Rasmussen directly to schedule a speaking engagement for your organization through the “Share the Dream” pages. You can also purchase copies of the new paperback edition of Rasmussen’s bestselling book at ESPNFounder.com.
Media Contact:
Jim DeLorenzo
Phone: 215-564-1122
E-mail: jim@jhdenterprises.com