ESPN co-founder Bill Rasmussen dies at 93
Bill Rasmussen, who co-founded ESPN in 1979 with his son Scott, died Tuesday. He was 93.
12 sources checked · Left, Center, and Right included · 5m ago
Non-news format (listicle, cartoon, horoscope, or similar feature) — excluded from spin comparison.

MOSTLY SAME
As of August 18, 2026 at 6:03 PM, this is how Optics News reads the wording differences in this story.
12 sources across Left, Center, and Right all describe the same event.
0/99 — the outlets mostly agree on the headline takeaway.
WHAT EACH SIDE EMPHASIZED
The Independent · Center-left · News report
WMUR9 (Hearst, Manchester NH) · Center · News report
100 Percent Fed Up · Right · News report
SEE THE HEADLINES
Bill Rasmussen, who co-founded ESPN in 1979 with his son Scott, died Tuesday. He was 93.
The co-founder of ESPN, Bill Rasmussen, has passed away. He was 93. "Rasmussen died at his Florida home from the effects of Parkinson's disease," the outlet reported on Tuesday morning. Nea...
Rasmussen revealed in 2019 that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2014
Known as "The Father of Sports Television," Rasmussen's ambition paved the way for the world's first 24-hour television network.
Bill Rasmussen, who launched ESPN in 1979, along with his son Scott, died on Tuesday due to complications of Parkinson’s […]
He died at his Florida home from the effects of Parkinson’s disease
LAND O’ LAKES, Fla. (AP) — Bill Rasmussen, who co-founded ESPN in 1979 after being fired from a public relations job in the World Hockey Association, died Tuesday. He was 93. ESPN historian...
Bill Rasmussen, the risk-taking visionary who turned a long-shot idea into sports powerhouse ESPN, died Tuesday at his Florida home. He was 93. The ESPN co-founder died from the effects of...
Bill Rasmussen, whose vision and ambition fueled the 1979 launch of ESPN as the world's first 24-hour television network, died Tuesday. He was 93.
Bill Rasmussen, whose vision and ambition fueled the 1979 launch of ESPN as the world's first 24-hour television network, died Tuesday. He was 93.
Bill Rasmussen, whose vision and ambition fueled the 1979 launch of ESPN as the world's first 24-hour television network, died Tuesday. He was 93.
Bill Rasmussen, whose vision and ambition fueled the 1979 launch of ESPN as the world's first 24-hour television network, died Tuesday. He was 93.
SOURCE MAP CHANGES
Aug 18, 4:27 PM: KABC / ABC7 Los Angeles joined the source map.
Aug 18, 4:27 PM: KGO / ABC7 San Francisco joined the source map.
Aug 18, 4:27 PM: ABC7chicago.com joined the source map.
Aug 18, 4:27 PM: ABC7 New York joined the source map.
Now: Wording Gap is 0/99 and story health is stable · 36 sources · all three buckets · comparable news format.