Bill Rasmussen
Founder of ESPN; Legendary Entrepreneur; Strategic Business Advisor
It is safe to say that Bill Rasmussen changed the face of sports and the face of television. His brainstorm for a 24-hour cable sports television station, born out of adversity, has become the Worldwide Leader in Sports—ESPN. Bill is the man with that dream. He founded ESPN in the summer of 1978, and had his innovative brainstorm for an all-sports cable TV network within days of his firing by the New England Whalers of the World Hockey Association on Memorial Day weekend. His idea for an all-sports cable TV network captured his imagination, and he incorporated the fledgling network…
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Full Bio
It is safe to say that Bill Rasmussen changed the face of sports and the face of television. His brainstorm for a 24-hour cable sports television station, born out of adversity, has become the Worldwide Leader in Sports—ESPN. Bill is the man with that dream. He founded ESPN in the summer of 1978, and had his innovative brainstorm for an all-sports cable TV network within days of his firing by the New England Whalers of the World Hockey Association on Memorial Day weekend. His idea for an all-sports cable TV network captured his imagination, and he incorporated the fledgling network on July 14, 1978.
A lifelong entrepreneur and sports fan, Bill’s innovations in advertising, sports, and broadcasting are numerous and include not only the creation of ESPN, but also the concept for Sports Center, which provides wall-to-wall coverage of NCAA regular-season and “March Madness” college basketball, as well as coverage of the College World Series. He broke the advertising barrier to cable television by signing Anheuser Busch to the largest cable TV advertising contract ever.
Bill’s entrepreneurial daring, his irrepressible enthusiasm, and a dash of good luck gave the world the first 24-hour television network. Once unleashed upon sports fans, ESPN’s impact forever changed the way we watch television. Bill is the author of the best-selling book, Sports Junkies Rejoice! The Birth of ESPN. Bill tells the inside story of the birth of ESPN in the book.
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MEDTRONIC
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UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI – KANSAS CITY
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BAYLOR UNIVERSITY CAMPUS
We had a fantastic day with Inge! She was very engaging with all those that attended. Her personal stories about the holocaust were very special and we were moved that she was willing to share them with everyone. Thank you again, PDA for all your hard work and dedication to make this program such a success!
SALT LAKE COMMUNITY COLLEGE
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SAP COMPANY
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CAMPUS LABS
Dr. Henry Lee's presentation was entertaining, insightful and wise. I, and everyone at Pfizer, especially appreciate the remarks you directed about following your passion and preparing yourself to excel. Thank you, everyone, at PDA for helping to make this happen!
PFIZER
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DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. MEMORIAL BREAKFAST, BOSTON, MLK SPEAKER
Everything went well. Atsuko was very easy to work with and the students enjoyed her performance! Thank you again for your recommendation and I hope to work with you again in the future!
CENTRAL MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY
Dr. Novello left this morning after a very successful event on our campus! Thank you PDA Group for your help from the first phone to the last you were with us every step of the way.
GRAND VALLEY STATE UNIVERSITY
Jordan Carlos was very very entertaining! A majority of students who answered the event survey indicated they really enjoyed Jordan and definitely will bring him back!
WESTERN CAROLINA UNIVERSITY
On behalf of myself and my organization Entertainment Unlimited the Campus Programming Board of Ferris State University, we thank you PDA and Dan for a successful event!! Dan was magnificent! Students really enjoyed the presentation. I know I did. Can't wait to bring in more programs with PDA Group.
FERRIS STATE UNIVERSITY
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WESTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY
Thank you, Peter, for all your help, you'll be happy to know that the event went incredibly well! Aneesa Ferreira was by far one of the best speakers we've ever had!
FURMAN UNIVERSITY
Topics
The Impact of Evolving Media: Past, Present, and Future
In this thought-provoking presentation, legendary ESPN founder Bill Rasmussen walks us through the history of media innovation—from early days of radio to the three network radio/TV system, then into the advent of cable TV, color television, 24 hour programming. Bill discusses the evolution of media all the way to the internet-age of digital content. Bill also discusses the potential future of self-selected content and programming, pointing out both the advantages and ramifications for consumers and companies. How is media defined in the digital age? What can history teach us about what’s to come? And, perhaps most important, how can we use this information to future-forecast the best strategies and innovations for our own endeavors and benefit? Bill deftly takes each audience on an historical journey, using vibrant stories from ESPN and other globally recognized platforms as a foundation to show us not only where we’ve been, but also where we are going next.
Leadership from Adversity: Opportunities for Reinvention in the Modern Age
ESPN founder Bill Rasmussen got fired from his job working for a Hartford, Connecticut-based professional hockey team and famously turned his struggles around when he took a $9,000 credit card cash advance to create a television network that is currently valued at $66 billion. “This is a guy whose idea gave birth to, arguably, the most successful media story of our time,” said author Jim Miller. Adversity—the loss of his job resulted in one of the greatest entrepreneurial success stories in television history. What can we learn from adversity? How do we react when adversity strikes? What traits do great leaders possess, and how do they handle it? Most of us will face adversity, failure, and possibly even bankruptcy in our lifetime. Will you bow to the circumstance or will you use the experience to find the leadership qualities within you to achieve rather than give up? Whether looking at your career as an individual or more broadly on the path of a company or nonprofit, Bill shares tangible leadership advice as only he can—gripping, insightful, and sure to affect the bottom line in every sense of the term.
The ESPN Story: From Humble Beginnings to Sports History
What turned out to be one of the greatest success stories in the history of sports television started with a little money and one huge dream. Now as the founder of ESPN, a multi-billion dollar company, Bill Rasmussen is one of the most successful businessmen in America. In this inspiring talk, Bill reveals how even the largest accomplishments begin with small steps and personal dreams. By encouraging even the youngest of entrepreneurs to think outside the box and take meaningful risks, Bill captivates audiences by taking them back in time to the beginnings of the 24-hour sports network that changed the history of television as we know it.
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Testimonials
“Mr. Rasmussen was very charming, relatable and down to earth!! He was very engaging, smart and just a joy to be around. The chemistry was amazing and I feel like an old friend is leaving me when I had to say goodbye. He was just awesome and we thank him for making the experience for our student leaders so memorable!”
Arizona State University
Bill has a wonderful personality and many of the attendees of the event couldn’t wait to meet and network with him…the audience was very impressed.
St. Peter's University
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