‘Sports Heaven: The Birth of ESPN’ Looks Back at the Genesis of the Worldwide Leader in Sports
The Worldwide Leader in Sports is returning to its beginnings with a new documentary titled Sports Heaven: The Birth of ESPN.
The story begins in late 1978, when Bill Rasmussen and his son Scott had the idea to create a sports-focused television network.
Photo: ESPN
Though they were initially met with laughter and incredulity, just 14 months later, on September 7, 1979, ESPN hit the airwaves, offering sports 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Using Technology to Deliver For Fans
Setting up shop in Bristol, Connecticut, Rasmussen secured financial backing from Getty Oil and struck deals with RCA, Anheuser-Busch, and major cable operators.
Never one to play it safe, he also utilized satellite broadcasting technology to bring ESPN to a national audience.
Photo: ESPN
“A satellite hovering some 22,000 miles above Earth that could transmit a broadcast signal across the entire United States, 24/7,” DeHart explained, was key to ESPN’s early exposure. “But as exciting as that possibility was, it also created a huge challenge: finding enough programming to fill all that time.”
The Birth of ‘SportsCenter’
While live sports quickly became a cornerstone of ESPN’s programming, SportsCenter would emerge as the network’s defining show.
Photo: ESPN
History was made when anchor Lee Leonard delivered his iconic opening: “If you’re a fan, what you’ll see in the next minutes, hours and days to follow may convince you you’ve gone to sports heaven.”
Continuing to Break New Ground
Over the next four decades, ESPN continued to embrace cutting-edge technology and evolving distribution methods to bring sports to fans around the world.
Photo: ESPN
“A lot of success came from riding the opportunities: cable expansion, radio, international, digital, social, and now direct-to-consumer,” ESPN historian Mike Soltys said. “ESPN has always invested in the next distribution model, and that is why we remain No. 1 for sports in the minds of consumers.”
A major moment in ESPN’s growth came in 1996, when The Walt Disney Company acquired the network as part of its purchase of Capital Cities/ABC.
Photo: ESPN
“The alignment with ABC has been critical through the years,” Soltys added. “Even in 2026, the power of having a broadcast partner is necessary to maximize opportunities with leagues, advertisers, and fans.”
The Mission Remains Unchanged
After nearly five decades of broadcasting, ESPN’s mission has remained the same: to serve sports fans anytime, anywhere.
“[Former ESPN President] George Bodenheimer and [current ESPN Chairman] Jimmy Pitaro both talk in the documentary about the importance of the culture that was established in Bristol in 1979 and how it still lives on today,” Soltys said.
