Part 3/10:
The birth of ESPN altered the landscape of sports television forever. Conceived by Bill Rasmusen, who faced unemployment and a growing concern for his family's future, the idea of a 24/7 sports network was audacious. After securing backing from Getty Oil, Rasmusen launched ESPN on September 7, 1979. The first broadcast featured a mix of college football, minor league baseball, and wrestling—a rough yet historic inception that set the stage for radical transformation in sports broadcasting.