ESPN ESPN is an American global cable television network focusing on sports - related programming including live and pre - taped event telecasts , sports talk shows , and other original programming . Founded by Bill Rasmussen , his son Scott Rasmussen and Aetna insurance agent Ed Eagan , it launched on September 7 , 1979 , under the direction of Chet Simmons , the network ' s President and CEO ( and later the United States Football League ' s first commissioner ) . The Getty Oil Company provided funding to begin the new venture via executive Stuart Evey . George Bodenheimer is ESPN ' s current president , a position he has held since November 19 , 1998 . Since March 2003 , Bodenheimer has also headed ABC Sports , which was operationally folded into ESPN in 2006 . ESPN ' s signature telecast , " SportsCenter " , debuted with the network and aired its 30 , 000th episode on February 11 , 2007 . ESPN broadcasts primarily from its studios in Bristol , Connecticut . The network also operates offices in Miami ; New York City ; Seattle , Washington ; Charlotte , North Carolina ; and Los Angeles . The Los Angeles office , from which the late - night edition of " SportsCenter " is now broadcast , opened at L . A . Live in early 2009 . History . Early months . ESPN was originally conceived by Bill Rasmussen , with support from Scott Rasmussen and Don Rasmussen . Bill was a television sports reporter for WWLP ( channel 22 ) , the NBC affiliate in Springfield , Massachusetts . In the mid - 1970s , Rasmussen worked for the World Hockey Association ' s New England Whalers , selling commercial time for their broadcasts . His son Scott , a former high school goaltender , was the team ' s public - address announcer . Both were fired in 1977 and Rasmussen sought a new business venture . His original idea was a cable television network ( then a fairly new medium ) that focused on covering sports events in the state of Connecticut ( for example , the Hartford Whalers , Bristol Red Sox , and the Connecticut Huskies ) . When Rasmussen was told that buying a continuous 24 - hour satellite feed was less expensive than buying several blocks of only a few hours a night , he expanded to a 24 - hour nationwide network . The channel ' s original name was ESP , for Entertainment and Sports Programming , but it was changed prior to launch . ESPN started with the debut of " Sportscenter " hosted by Lee Leonard and George Grande . Afterwards was a pro slow pitch softball game . The first score on " SportsCenter " was from women ' s tennis on the final weekend of the US Open . To help fill 24 hours a day of air time , ESPN showed college football and basketball games and a variety of sporting events that broadcast networks did not show , including Australian rules football , the Canadian Football League , Davis Cup tennis , professional wrestling , and boxing . The U . S . Olympic Festival , the now - defunct competition that was organized as a training tool by the United States Olympic Committee , was also an ESPN staple at the time . ESPN also aired business shows and exercise videos . ESPN recruited Steve Powell , former Director of Sports Programming at HBO , to be its first head of Programming . Powell had been the youngest VP at HBO and its parent company ( Time , Inc . ) , but left to attend Harvard Business School . He worked for ESPN while completing the MBA Program at Harvard . Professional sports arrive . ESPN ( along with the USA Network ) was among the earliest cable - based broadcast partners for the National Basketball Association ( NBA ) . Lasting from 1982 to 1984 , the network ' s relationship with the association marked its initial foray into American professional sports . After an 18 year hiatus , ESPN ( by then , under the auspices of the ABC network ) , secured a $ 2 . 4 billion , six - year broadcast contract with the NBA , thereby revitalizing its historic compact with U . S . professional basketball . In 1983 , The United States Football League ( USFL ) made its debut on ESPN and ABC . The league ( which lasted for three seasons ) enjoyed ephemeral success , some portion of which was a byproduct of the exposure afforded through ESPN coverage . On July 15 , 1985 , ESPN started airing the " ESPN Sports Update " ( later known as " 28 / 58 " ) , a condensed run - down of scores and news that aired at 28 and 58 minutes past the hour , when " SportsCenter " was not airing . This was changed to 18 / 58 on May 30 , 2005 . In 1987 , ESPN gained partial rights to the National Football League . The league agreed to the deal as long as ESPN agreed to simulcast the games on local television stations in the participating markets . " ESPN Sunday Night Football " would last for 19 years and spur ESPN ' s rise to legitimacy . In the 2006 NFL season , ESPN began airing " Monday Night Football " , formrly seen on its sister network ABC . ( NBC took over the Sunday night game ) Former Commissioner Paul Tagliabue credits ESPN for revolutionizing the NFL , " ESPN was able to take the draft , the pregame and highlight shows , and other NFL programming to a new level . " In 1984 , ABC made a deal with Getty Oil to acquire ESPN . ABC retained an 80 % share , and sold 20 % to Nabisco . The Nabisco shares were later sold to Hearst Corporation , which still holds a 20 % stake today . In 1986 , ABC was purchased for $ 3 . 5 billion by Capital Cities Communications . In 1996 , The Walt Disney Company purchased Capital Cities / ABC for $ 19 billion and picked up an 80 % stake in ESPN at that time . According to an analysis published by " Barron ' s Magazine " in February 2008 , ESPN " is probably worth more than 40 % of Disney ' s entire value . . . based on prevailing cash - flow multiples in the industry . " In 1990 , ESPN added Major League Baseball to its lineup with a $ 400 million contract . The contract has been renewed and will continue through 2011 . Jon Miller and Joe Morgan were the longtime voices of the network ' s centerpiece " Sunday Night Baseball " through the 2010 season . Steve Phillips joined the package in 2009 , but Phillips was later dismissed by the network in October 2009 . In December 2010 ESPN announced that Orel Hersheiser , Dan Schulman , and Bobby Valentine will be the new announcers of " Sunday Night Baseball " beginning with the 2011 season . ESPN broadcast each of the four major professional sports leagues in North America from 2002 until 2004 , when it cut ties with the National Hockey League . The network had aired NHL games from 1980 – 82 , from 1986 – 89 , and most recently from 1992 – 2004 . ESPN has been broadcasting Major League Soccer games about once a week on ESPN2 since that league ' s inception in 1996 . In most years , the annual All - Star Game and MLS Cup championship game , and in some years , the Opening Night game , are shown on ABC broadcast stations . With the increasing cost of live sports entertainment , such as the USD $ 8 . 8 billion costs for NFL football broadcasts rights for eight years , " scripted entertainment has become a luxury item for ESPN , " said David Carter , director of the Sports Business Institute at the University of Southern California . ESPN broadcasts 65 sports , 24 hours a day in 16 languages in more than 200 countries . Expansion . ESPN set itself apart from its competition by using the top reporters for each of their respective sports by the early 1990s . Some examples included : Peter Gammons ( baseball ) , Chris Mortensen ( football ) , Al Morganti ( hockey ) , David Aldridge ( basketball ) , and Mel Kiper , Jr . ( NFL Draft ) . Other well - known reporters include Andrea Kremer , Ed Werder , Mark Schwartz , and Greg Garber . The 1990s and early 2000s saw a considerable growth within the company . ESPN Radio launched on New Years Day , 1992 and has seen tremendous success . ESPN2 was founded in 1993 , launched by Keith Olbermann and Suzy Kolber with SportsNite . Three years later ESPNews was born , with Mike Tirico as the first anchor . In 1997 , ESPN acquired the Classic Sports Network and renamed it ESPN Classic . ESPNU , a network focusing exclusively on collegiate sports , launched on March 4 , 2005 . In 1994 , ESPN launched The ESPN Sports Poll , created by Dr . Richard Luker . The Sports Poll was the first ongoing national daily study of sports fan activities and interests in the United States . " Sporting News " acknowledged the accomplishments of The ESPN Sports Poll and Dr . Luker in 1996 . After Disney ' s acquisition of ESPN , ABC Sports began to increasingly integrate its operations with the network in 1996 . That year Steve Bornstein , president of ESPN since 1990 , was made president of ABC Sports as well . This integration culminated in the 2006 decision to merge ABC Sports ' operations with ESPN , which transitioned all ABC Sports telecasts to ESPN - styled productions and branding under the banner " ESPN on ABC " . However , due to the nature of ESPN still being a joint venture of ESPN and Hearst , ESPN on ABC is still legally separate from ESPN since the ABC network has no ownership interest by Hearst . In 1998 , ESPN also began utilizing a " Skycam " during their NHL broadcasts , later expanding to baseball , basketball , and football games . In 2007 , ESPN signed an agreement with the Arena Football League to broadcast at least one game every week , usually on Monday nights . In January 2008 , ESPN signed a multi - million dollar contract with professional gaming circuit , Major League Gaming ( MLG ) . In April 2009 , ESPN opened a broadcast production facility in downtown Los Angeles as a part of the L . A . Live complex across from Staples Center . The five - story facility houses an ESPN Zone restaurant on the first two floors and two television production studios with digital control rooms on the upper floors . One of the studios hosts late - night editions of " SportsCenter " . In October 2009 , ESPN marked its 30th anniversary with the premiere of " 30 for 30 " , a series of documentaries focusing on major sports stories and events that occurred over the 30 years that the network had been on the air . While premiering to low ratings , awareness and critical reception of the series increased in later installments , leading to an increase in viewership . By the seventh episode , " The U " , the audience had grown to a 1 . 8 rating and well over 2 million viewers . International expansion . In the early 1990s , ESPN established a new division , ESPN International , to take advantage of the growing satellite markets in Asia , Africa , and Latin America . ESPN would also purchase a minority stake in a consortium formed to acquire the Canadian sports networks TSN and RDS from Labatt ( due to Canadian regulatory laws , Labatt could not be the majority owner of the networks after its purchase by Interbrew . After Bell Media ( then Bell Globemedia ) acquired a majority stake in the networks in 2000 , they would adopt ESPN - styled branding in 2001 . In 2004 , ESPN entered the European market by launching a version of ESPN Classic , and then by acquiring the North American Sports Network ( which was re - launched as ESPN America in February 2009 ) . In August 2009 , ESPN also launched a domestic channel for the United Kingdom and Ireland after acquiring domestic rights to 46 Barclays Premier League matches for the forthcoming season , and 23 matches each for the following three seasons . The deal replaced a previous contract with Setanta Sports GB , which was experiencing financial difficulties and bankruptcy . Criticism . Despite its acclaim and notability , ESPN and its sister networks have been the targets of criticism for some of its programming . This criticism includes accusations of biased coverage , conflict of interest , and controversies with individual broadcasters and analysts . High definition . ESPN launched its 720p high - definition simulcast , originally branded as ESPNHD , on March 20 , 2003 . All Bristol and L . A . Live studio shows , along with most live events on ESPN , are produced in high definition . ESPN is one of the few networks with an all - digital infrastructure . Shows that are recorded elsewhere − such as " Jim Rome Is Burning " ( Los Angeles ) are presented in a standard definition , 4 : 3 format with stylized pillarboxes . " Pardon the Interruption " and " Around the Horn " began airing in HD on September 27 , 2010 . ESPN and all of ABC and Disney ' s cable networks use the 720p HD line standard because ABC executives proposed a progressive scan signal that resolves fluid and high speed motion in sports better , particularly during slow motion replays . In 2011 , ESPNHD began to downplay its distinct logo in promotion in preparation for a shift of its standard definition feed to letterbox ed widescreen , which occurred on June 1 , 2011 . ESPN 3D . On January 5 , 2010 , ESPN announced that it would launch a new 3D television channel , ESPN 3D . The network launched on June 11 , 2010 , with coverage of the 2010 FIFA World Cup . During its first year , ESPN projected that it would air around 100 events in 3D within its first year , including the Summer X Games and the 2011 BCS National Championship Game . Originally , ESPN 3D only aired simulcasts of 3D events from other ESPN channels , but on February 14 , 2011 , the network switched to a 24 hour format with repeat airings of past 3D events . Programming . Alongside its live sports broadcasts , ESPN also airs a variety of sports highlight , talk , and documentary styled shows . These include : In popular culture . ESPN has become a part of popular culture since its inception . Many movies with a general sports theme will include ESPN announcers and programming into their storylines ( such as in " Dodgeball : A True Underdog Story " , which gently lampoons the channel ' s multiple outlets by referencing the as - yet - nonexistent ESPN8 , " The Ocho , " a reference to a nickname formerly used for ESPN2 , " the Deuce " ; the slogan for the network was " If it ' s almost a sport , you ' ll find it here ! " ) . In the film " The Waterboy " , Adam Sandler ' s character Bobby Boucher has his college football accomplishments tracked through several fictional " SportsCenter " newscasts including the " Bourbon Bowl . " Also , ESPN . com Page 2 columnist Bill Simmons often joke that he is looking forward to running a future network ; " SportsCenter " anchors appeared as themselves in music videos by Brad Paisley ( " I ' m Gonna Miss Her ( The Fishin ' Song ) " ) and Hootie and the Blowfish ( " Only Wanna Be With You " ) ; and the 1998 TV series " Sports Night " was based on an ESPN - style network and its titular , " SportsCenter " - analogue flagship sports results program . Also , Ron Burgundy , Will Ferrell ' s character from the film " " , is fictitiously interviewed for a position on " SportsCenter " and fails miserably , then claims that the idea ( of a 24 hour sports network ) will never become popular , and will be a financial and cultural disaster ( claiming it ' s as ridiculous as a 24 - hour cooking network or an all music channel ) . This was originally shot as a SportsCenter piece celebrating ESPN ' s 25th anniversary , and was subsequently included as an extra on the " Anchorman " DVD . Many jokes have been made by comedians about fake obscure sports that are shown on ESPN . Dennis Miller mentioned watching " sumo rodeo , " while George Carlin stated that ESPN showed " Australian dick wrestling . " One of several " Saturday Night Live " sketches poking fun at the network features ESPN2 airing a show called " Scottish Soccer Hooligan Weekly , " which includes a fake advertisement for " Senior Women ' s Beach Lacrosse . " " SNL " also parodies ESPN Classic with fake archived obscure women ' s sportscasts from the 1980s such as bowling , weight lifting and curling , with announcers who know nothing about the sport , and instead focus on the sponsors which are always women ' s hygiene products . In the early years of ESPN , " Late Night with David Letterman " even featured a " Top Ten List " poking fun at some of the obscure sports seen on ESPN at the time . One of the more memorable sports on the list was " Amish Rake Fighting . " A recurring skit on " Late Night with Jimmy Fallon " named Sports Freak - Out ! " is a parody of " SportsCenter " . A common joke in comedic television and film involves people getting ESP ( an abbreviation for Extrasensory Perception , and an irony considering ESPN was initially supposed to be named " ESP " ) confused with ESPN , often including someone saying something along the lines of " I know these kind of things , I ' ve got ESPN " . Electronic Arts in the early 1990s used to have a faux sports network logo on their sports games called EASN ( Electronic Arts Sports Network ) , but soon changed to EA Sports after ESPN requested that they stop using it . There are at least 22 children named after the network .