Story of the birth of ESPN will be showcased in a documentary on Monday night
By Joe Reedy
Published on April 5, 2026.
ESPN is set to premiere a 90-minute documentary about its creation, "Sports Heaven: The Birth of ESPN", on Monday night. The documentary will be presented by Bill Rasmussen and his son, Scott Rasmussen, who conceived the idea of a 24-hour sports network. The film also covers how the Rasmussenussens secured financial backing from Getty Oil, a rights deal with the NCAA, and built a studio in Bristol, Connecticut. The original idea was a cable channel covering only Connecticut sports, but was met with skepticism by cable operators. The Rasmussens were forced out of ESPN in 1980 and have since been recognized for their vision of creating an all-sports network.
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