This Father’s Day, Give Them the Real, Inside Story of ESPN, “Sports Junkies Rejoice! The Birth of ESPN” by ESPN Founder Bill Rasmussen -- Now on Sale in Paperback and Digital Format

Philadelphia, PA – June 7, 2013 – Father’s Day is June 16^th, and now is the time to give  them the true story of an American entrepreneurial and sports legend in the book, “Sports Junkies Rejoice! The Birth of ESPN” by ESPN Founder Bill Rasmussen, on sale now at http://www.ESPNFounder.com.

Rasmussen tells the story of the birth of ESPN in the book, recently published in a brand-new paperback edition, and is also available as an e-book at ESPNFounder.com.

“Sports Junkies Rejoice!  The Birth of ESPN” makes a great gift for sports fans of all ages.  Rasmussen’s best-selling book gives sports fans 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.  It is safe to say that Rasmussen changed the face of sports, and the face of television.  His brainstorm for a 24-hour cable sports television station, born out of adversity, has become the Worldwide Leader in Sports, ESPN.  Rasmussen is the man who had the dream, the founder of ESPN.

“Only Bill Rasmussen can take you back, back, back, back to the beginning of the greatest success story in the history of sports television,” said longtime ESPN anchor Chris Berman.  “His ideas, his enthusiasm, his fierce determination and belief in success changed the way we all watch television and televised sports today.”

Some of the secrets revealed in Rasmussen’s book include the circumstances under which he had the inspiration for ESPN, how he financed the first few months of the company, how many times people told him “no” along the way, and, perhaps the biggest mystery, why ESPN is based in Bristol, Connecticut.

“Sports Junkies Rejoice!  The Birth of ESPN” is Rasmussen’s personal account of the launch of the Worldwide Leader in Sports.  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. 

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 40 individuals who has significantly altered and elevated the world of sport.  Rasmussen was honored as one of The Champions: Pioneers & Innovators in Sports Business, an award from the Sports Business Journal and the Sports Business Daily recognizing the architects and builders of sports.  He has toured the nation speaking at colleges and business forums over the past three years, sharing the inside story of the birth of ESPN at public speaking events and also at private corporate functions.

For more information, visit http://www.ESPNFounder.com, or follow Rasmussen on Facebook and on Twitter.