Sports Heaven

The Birth of ESPN

By: Bill Rasmussen, Mike Soltys, Garrett Sutton Esq., Chris Berman - introduction

Narrated by: Chris Berman, Garrett Sutton Esq., Mike Soltys, Will Damron

The story behind ESPN's founding — an electrifying, high-stakes journey that embodies the spirit of innovation, one that will inspire, entertain, and teach you lessons about entrepreneurship, perseverance, and thinking big. Bill Rasmussen, whose perspective is as close to the heartbeat of ESPN’s origin story as it gets, gives you an insider’s look at the blood, sweat, and tears behind the brand that changed the sports world forever.

Rasmussen kept a diary in 1978-79, which is the basis for his account of the business and technical challenges of starting a groundbreaking media company. Bill takes listeners into the moment of discovery, showing how his ambitious idea – a 24/7 sports network -- took wild courage, relentless problem-solving, and overcoming setbacks that would’ve stopped most people in their tracks.

Not just for people in the sports or business worlds, Sports Heaven is for anyone who believes in the power of ideas to change the world. The story of ESPN is one of human determination, imagination, and a refusal to give up on something you truly believe in. In today’s fast-paced, ever-evolving world, that’s a story everyone can relate to.

This audiobook includes contributed audio from: Jimmy Pitaro, George Grande, Ken Boudreau, Scott Rasmussen, Matt Buckler, George Bodenheimer, Chuck Pagano, Mary Walton, Josh Krulewitz, John Leone, George Conner, Geoff Bray, Greg Wyatt, Dennis Randall, Rosa Gatti, Chuck Pagano, John Michalik, Howard Baldwin, George Grande, Al Parinello, JB Doherty, Al Parinello, and Bob Ley.