ESPN Sport Center

ESPN Sport Center

The Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, almost always referred to by its initialism ESPN, is an American cable television network dedicated to broadcasting and producing sports-related programming 24 hours a day.

Founded by Bill Rasmussen and his son Scott Rasmussen, 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). Getty Oil Company provided the funding to begin the new venture. Geoff Bray of New Britain, CT was chosen as the architect. George Bodenheimer is ESPN's current president, a position he has held since November 19, 1998. Bodenheimer has also headed ABC Sports, a separate legal entity now branded as ESPN on ABC, since March 3, 2003.