History of ESPN in Timeline
ESPN is a multinational, multiplatform sports media company. Founded in 1979 by Bill Rasmussen, Scott Rasmussen, and Ed Eagan, it's primarily owned by the Walt Disney Company, with Hearst Communications holding a 20% stake through ESPN Inc. ESPN provides sports coverage through various platforms, solidifying its place as a major entity in the sports media landscape.
February 22, 1979: Getty Oil Purchases 85% of ESPN
On February 22, 1979, Getty Oil purchased 85% of ESPN from Bill Rasmussen to diversify its holdings, which helped build the credibility of the company.
September 7, 1979: ESPN Launches with SportsCenter
On September 7, 1979, ESPN officially launched, beginning with the first telecast of SportsCenter, broadcasting to 1.4 million cable subscribers.
1979: ESPN Founded
In 1979, ESPN, originally known as the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, was founded by Bill Rasmussen, Scott Rasmussen, and Ed Eagan.
March 1980: ESPN Broadcasts NCAA Basketball Tournament
In March 1980, ESPN began broadcasting the early rounds of the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, which helped bring attention to "March Madness".
1984: ABC Purchases 100% of ESPN
In 1984, the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) purchased 100% of ESPN from the Rasmussens and Getty Oil, increasing ESPN's ability to compete for major sports contracts.
1984: NCAA v. Board of Regents Ruling
In 1984, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in NCAA v. Board of Regents of the University of Oklahoma that the NCAA could no longer monopolize broadcast contract negotiations for college football games, leading to ESPN broadcasting a large number of NCAA football games.
1985: Capital Cities Communications Acquires ABC
In 1985, Capital Cities Communications acquired ABC, gaining control of ESPN.
1987: ESPN Secures NFL Contract
In 1987, ESPN secured a contract with the NFL to broadcast eight games during that year's regular season, marking the first broadcasts of Sunday NFL primetime games and leading to a decline in viewership for daytime games on major broadcast networks.
1992: ESPN Radio Launched
In 1992, ESPN launched ESPN Radio, a national sports talk radio network providing analysis, commentary, and audio play-by-play of sporting events.
October 1, 1993: ESPN2 Launched
ESPN2 was launched on October 1, 1993. It carried a broad mix of event coverage from conventional sports, extreme sports and more.
October 10, 1993: ESPN2 Launched
On October 10, 1993, ESPN2 launched on cable systems, reaching 10 million subscribers. It featured niche sports popular with males 18-49, and served as an overflow channel for ESPN.
1995: Classic Sports Network Launched
In 1995, Classic Sports Network was launched. It was founded by Brian Bedol and Steve Greenberg.
1995: ESPN BottomLine Originated on ESPN2
In 1995, the "ESPN BottomLine", a ticker displaying sports news and scores during all programming that is now used by all of ESPN's networks, originated on ESPN2.
November 1, 1996: ESPNews Launched
ESPNews is a subscription television network that was launched on November 1, 1996, originally focusing solely on sports news, highlights, and press conferences.
1996: Walt Disney Company Acquires Capital Cities/ABC
In 1996, the Walt Disney Company acquired Capital Cities/ABC Inc., which was re-branded as Walt Disney Television, thus giving the Walt Disney Company control of ESPN.
1997: ESPN Inc. Purchased Classic Sports Network
In 1997, ESPN Inc. purchased Classic Sports Network for $175 million.
1998: Classic Sports Network Rebranded as ESPN Classic
In 1998, Classic Sports Network was rebranded as ESPN Classic after being purchased by ESPN Inc.
July 2001: ESPN Deportes Launched
ESPN Deportes was originally launched in July 2001 to provide Spanish simulcasts of certain Major League Baseball telecasts from ESPN.
2001: ESPN Original Entertainment Formed
In 2001, ESPN Original Entertainment was formed as a programming division of ESPN.
March 30, 2003: ESPNHD Launches
On March 30, 2003, ESPN launched its high definition simulcast feed, originally branded as ESPNHD, with a broadcast of the Texas Rangers and Anaheim Angels Opening Day game.
January 2004: ESPN Deportes Became 24-Hour Sports Channel
In January 2004, ESPN Deportes became a 24-hour sports channel.
2004: ESPN Last Carried NHL Games
In 2004, ESPN last carried nationally televised NHL games before the new agreement in 2021.
March 4, 2005: ESPNU Launches
On March 4, 2005, ESPNU, a subscription television network dedicated to college athletics, was launched. The network focuses on a variety of college sports, including basketball, football, baseball, swimming, and ice hockey.
2005: ESPN MVP Attempt
In 2005, ESPN MVP (initially known as Mobile ESPN) was launched as an attempt at operating a mobile virtual network operator with exclusive mobile content, first as a phone feature, then after its termination into a Verizon Wireless paid service.
September 2006: ESPN Integrated with ABC Sports
Since September 2006, ESPN has been integrated with the sports division of sister broadcast network ABC, with sports events televised on that network airing under the banner ESPN on ABC.
March 2008: ESPN Films Created
In March 2008, ESPN Films was created as a restructuring of ESPN Original Entertainment, a programming division that was originally formed in 2001.
2009: 30 for 30 Started Airing
In 2009, 30 for 30 started airing and continues airing to this day. Each episode is through the eyes of a well known filmmaker and has featured some of the biggest directors in Hollywood.
August 2010: ESPNews Incorporates Debate and Radio Shows
Since August 2010, ESPNews has gradually incorporated encores of ESPN's various sports debate and entertainment shows and video simulcasts of ESPN Radio shows, in addition to sports news programming.
September 27, 2010: Pardon the Interruption and Around the Horn Begin Airing in HD
On September 27, 2010, Pardon the Interruption and Around the Horn began airing in HD, coinciding with the relocation of their production to the Washington, D.C., bureau for ABC News.
October 25, 2010: WatchESPN Launched as ESPN Networks
On October 25, 2010, WatchESPN was launched as ESPN Networks, a streaming service providing a live stream of ESPN exclusive to Time Warner Cable subscribers.
August 26, 2011: Longhorn Network Launched
On August 26, 2011, the Longhorn Network, a subscription television network, was launched. It focuses on events from the Texas Longhorns varsity sports teams of the University of Texas at Austin.
August 31, 2011: ESPN3 Incorporated into WatchESPN Platform
On August 31, 2011, ESPN3, an online streaming service, was incorporated into the WatchESPN platform.
2011: ESPN Peak Household Reach
In 2011, ESPN reached its peak of 100 million households in the United States.
2011: ESPNHD Downplays Distinct Logo
In 2011, ESPNHD began to downplay its distinct promotional logo in preparation for the conversion of its standard definition feed from a 4:3 full-screen to a letterboxed format.
2013: Highlight Express Cancelled on ESPNews
Since the 2013 cancellation of Highlight Express, ESPNews programming consists mainly of rebroadcasts of SportsCenter.
August 14, 2014: SEC Network Launches
On August 14, 2014, the SEC Network, a subscription television network, was launched. It focuses on sporting events sanctioned by the Southeastern Conference as a result of a 20-year broadcast partnership between the SEC and ESPN Inc.
April 26, 2017: ESPN Terminates 100 Employees
On April 26, 2017, ESPN terminated approximately 100 employees, including athletes-turned-analysts and journalists, as part of cost-cutting measures.
December 18, 2017: John Skipper Resigns
On December 18, 2017, John Skipper resigned from his position as chairman of ESPN.
2017: O.J.: Made in America Wins Academy Award
In 2017, the 30 for 30 film O.J.: Made in America won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature, the first such Oscar for ESPN.
March 5, 2018: James Pitaro Appointed Chairman
On March 5, 2018, James Pitaro became the chairman of ESPN, succeeding John Skipper who had resigned.
April 12, 2018: ESPN+ Launched
On April 12, 2018, ESPN launched ESPN+, a supplemental over-the-top streaming service.
April 2018: ESPN+ Launched
In April 2018, ESPN+ was launched as an add-on subscription for $4.99 per month.
March 2019: ESPN Announces Daily Wager Program
In March 2019, ESPN announced a new betting-themed daily program, Daily Wager, hosted by the network's gambling analyst Doug Kezirian. The program was ESPN's first regularly scheduled program solely dedicated to gaming-related content.
June 1, 2019: WatchESPN Discontinued, Merged into ESPN App
On June 1, 2019, WatchESPN was discontinued, with the service fully merged into the ESPN app.
August 22, 2019: ACC Network Launches
On August 22, 2019, the ACC Network, a subscription television network dedicated to the sporting events of the Atlantic Coast Conference, was launched as a joint venture between ESPN Inc. and the ACC.
October 8, 2019: ESPN Instructs Employees to Avoid Political Discussions About China and Hong Kong
On October 8, 2019, Deadspin reported that an internal memo was sent to ESPN employees instructing them to avoid any political discussions regarding the People's Republic of China and Hong Kong after a tweet by Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey.
2019: UFC Signs Contract with ESPN
In 2019, Ultimate Fighting Championship signed a five-year contract with ESPN starting 2019 on ESPN and ESPN+ which estimate every quarter 2 event on UFC on ESPN and 6 events on UFC Fight Night on ESPN+.
March 2021: ESPN and ABC Agree to Televise NHL Games
In March 2021, ESPN and ABC agreed on a seven-year contract to televise NHL games, including four Stanley Cup Finals, with some games airing on ESPN+ and Hulu.
2021: Disney to Increase Presence in Online Sports Betting
In 2021, Walt Disney CEO Bob Chapek indicated that the company would increase its presence in online sports betting, including in partnership with third parties, to offset the impact of COVID-19.
December 31, 2021: ESPN Classic Discontinued
On December 31, 2021, ESPN Classic, a subscription television network, was discontinued.
August 8, 2023: ESPN and Penn Entertainment Announce Sportsbook Deal
On August 8, 2023, ESPN and Penn Entertainment announced a deal to brand Penn's sportsbooks with ESPN branding. Penn's existing Barstool Sportsbook would be rebranded as ESPN Bet.
November 2023: ESPN Plans to Launch ESPN Bet
In November 2023, ESPN moved into the sports betting scene with plans to launch their sportsbook app "ESPN Bet" on November 14, in partnership with Penn Entertainment, beginning in 17 states.
December 2023: ESPN Available in 70 Million Households
As of December 2023, ESPN is available to approximately 70 million pay television households in the United States.
2023: The Pat McAfee Show Moves to ESPN
In 2023, The Pat McAfee Show moved to ESPN as part of a five-year, $85 million deal, replacing the Noon ET airing of SportsCenter and This Just In with Max Kellerman.
February 6, 2024: ESPN Announces Venu Sports Joint Venture
On February 6, 2024, ESPN announced a joint venture with Fox Sports and TNT Sports known as Venu Sports, including the three organizations' main linear sports channels and associated media rights.
June 30, 2024: Longhorn Network Discontinued
On June 30, 2024, the Longhorn Network was discontinued, a day before the Longhorns' move to the Southeastern Conference.
2024: ESPN Apologizes for Submitting Fake Names for Emmy Consideration
In 2024, ESPN apologized for submitting fake names for Sports Emmy award consideration over many years, and returned 37 trophies that had been awarded to ineligible recipients to the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.
May 2025: ESPN Announces Launch of Direct-to-Consumer Product
In May 2025, ESPN announced that it would officially launch an ESPN-branded direct-to-consumer product later that year, which will incorporate ESPN's main channels and content from ESPN+, and become the main streaming offering for all ESPN subscribers.
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