ESPN

in full Entertainment And Sports Programming Network, cable television sports-broadcasting network based in Bristol, Conn., U.S. Founded in 1978, it became the country's largest cable network, carried to over 68 million homes by early 1996. Its success engendered additional ESPN networks, including an international sports network. New England sports announcer William Rasmussen founded ESPN to broadcast New England Whalers hockey games and University of Connecticut sports events. It was purchased by the Getty Oil Company before it began broadcasting in 1979, the year it began signing large advertising contracts. It was sold to ABC Inc. (later Capital Cities/ABC) in 1984 and three years later began broadcasting a schedule of National Football League games on Sunday nights. Though a cable network, ESPN competed with the established networks in producing live sporting events. In 1990 it paid $400 million to Major League Baseball to broadcast 175 games annually for four years. National Hockey League games; college basketball and football games, including bowl and all-star games; bowling, golf, martial arts, tennis, and lacrosse matches were among the more than 65 sports broadcast on ESPN, which transmitted 24 hours a day. ESPN began distributing sports programming outside the U.S. in 1983, leading to the formation of ESPN International five years later. Broadcasting in 14 languages to more than 150 countries, ESPN International broadcast regional sports programmes, including cricket in India and soccer in Latin America, as well as American sports; three of its networks, in six languages, were based in Singapore. In the 1990s ESPN founded a radio sports network; a second American cable television sports network, ESPN2; and online and ticker-tape sports-reporting services.