   espn2 is an american basic cable and satellite television network that is owned by espn inc., a joint venture between the walt disney company (which owns a controlling 80% stake) and the hearst corporation (which owns the remaining 20%). espn2 was initially formatted as a network for a younger generation of sports fans; by the late 1990s, this mandate was phased out as the channel increasingly served as a second outlet for espn's mainstream sports coverage. as of august 2013, espn2 is available to approximately 97,717,000 pay television households (85.57% of households with at least one television set) in the united states. ==history== espn2 launched on october 1, 1993 at 7:30 p.m. eastern time. its inaugural program was the first edition of the 
ESPN2 ESPN_media_outlets English-language_television_stations_in_the_United_States Lumberjack_sports Sports_television_networks_in_the_United_States Television_channels_and_stations_established_in_1993