1979 - ESPN Launch / First Day: SportsCenter with Commercials - NEW! Improved Closed Captioning!

September 7, 1979: This compilation shows the birth of ESPN and its first promos and advertisers. To better understand it, read the book "Sports Junkies, Rejoice!" by ESPN founder Bill Rasmussen:Thank you Bill for revolutionizing sports broadcasting!

[@ManciniTVClassics]

Note the chauvinistic nature of many commercials aired in 1979. The Wall Street Journal makes fun of it at 07:18.

[@bobjersey]

Who was that actress, and did she do anything outside of advertising?

[@mirzaahmed6589]

Why did they have a separate phone number for Nebraska?

[@ManciniTVClassics]

@@mirzaahmed6589​​⁠Because 800 numbers (toll-free) did not work for the state where the respective retailer’s sales department was located. An issue that AT&T fixed in the 1990’s.

[@ManciniTVClassics]

@@bobjerseyNot sure, but assume she did. Probably theater / broadway with WSJ being based in New York.

[@JosephPratt1986]

I've always wanted to see the promos that ESPN showed when they first went on the air! Thanks for sharing them with us!

[@ManciniTVClassics]

You are welcome, Joseph!

[@JosephPratt1986]

Please keep up the good work!

[@chrissheppard8351]

@@ManciniTVClassics As a teenager and a person who is from Connecticut, this is history in the making, and I am very glad indeed that your footage from ESPN’s first day has been uploaded. Thanks indeed.

[@gynandroidhead]

The first voice of ESPN, Lee Leonard died on December 16, 2018. I was watching this as it happened, and I must admit - to hear the Vangelis instrument "Pulstar" played whilst the Sportscenter graphic was on gave me chills.

[@publicaffairspup]

Theme For Used TV Patrol And The World Tonight (ABS-CBN, 1987)

[@genegjr]

Was this owned by Capital cities/ABC before it was sold to Disney?

[@bobjersey]

That "Everything worth seeing" jingle still brings a chill to my spine, and wow, the beginning for Dickie V!

[@bravesrule384]

@bobjersey - not to mention, the start of Sports Center and a the career of Boomer, Chris Berman. He had just turned 24 in May of 79 when ESPN was launched in September. My jaw dropped when I seen him with a moustache, Lol.

[@gregsells8549]

Note the disco sound which was in vogue at that time.

[@jeffersonianideal]

The unmistakable timbre of Lee Leonard's voice. He was a staple in New York broadcasting.

[@johnm8096]

Remember him hosting Sports Extra with Bill Mazer in the mid-70s.

[@roddavis8692]

I had to do my homework and check this out I love history we came along way congrats to humans 🎉🎉

[@hoagie1978]

The 70's and 80's were at a time when Tennis and Racquetball were extremely popular. Notice the commercials for the Racquet Club cologne and Penn tennis balls.

[@ManciniTVClassics]

Great point!

[@tommyparkerparker]

42 years ago today.

[@ManciniTVClassics]

True!

[@rockvilleraven]

Not much of a budget for programming in those early days.

[@ManciniTVClassics]

@@rockvilleraven True. The big innovation was the contract with the NCAA which provided 99% of ESPN's programming for the first year. Bill Rasmunsen securing the contract with the NCAA was how Getty Oil agreed to fund ESPN.

[@VTSGsRock]

36 old when you uploaded this

[@laymelow]

Exactly one month older than me!!!

[@tommyparkerparker]

RIP Lee Leonard (1929-2018).

[@Mark-sj3xb]

In the 70s, a pass play was considered a trick play for Alabama

[@davidsutliff8312]

I love how everyone was kind of awkward and uptight, not sure what to do...that is until Dick Vitale. My man cracked open the Mic and acted like he had already been doing it 40 years.. The other guy even looks like damnnnnn.... LMAO

[@bobnelson9480]

So true.

[@RealDaveTalk]

Happy Birthday ESPN which debut 40 years ago on this day

[@ManciniTVClassics]

Yep!

[@tommyparkerparker]

ESPN debut at this very time 40 years ago. 7:00pm EST Sept 7,1979.

[@rockvilleraven]

One of the games in that slow pitch softball doubleheader was the Milwaukee Schiltzs vs. the Kentucky Bourbons.

[@ManciniTVClassics]

And since Anheuser Busch was one of the only ESPN sponsors on launch day, mentioning the name Schlitz during that game was taboo...

[@Ashe1827]

ESPN 24 hours a day ? It'll never work. Sports 24 hours a day, everyday 7 days a week 365 ? Ridiculous!!! No Way !

[@johnnysama]

How many cable subscribers were there in the US when ESPN first came on the air? I take it not many. That aside, this is an awesome bit of history of ESPN's first moments on the air. Such humble beginnings. :)

[@JasonL77]

If Wikipedia is correct,around 30,000 people watched ESPN go on the ai.

[@thema1998]

@@JasonL77 Those 30,000 people were lucky.

[@markschlesinger]

@@thema1998 I saw it live.

[@chadwickwhite2735]

What GREAT beginnings!!!!! Man this was SO COOL.

[@devonc3948]

I work every day and live every day, utilizing the internet - I LOVE the just "yo. 'one-fifth of one second' and this video is on your screen... after going to space... and to Hawai'i"

[@chrisgill261]

2:35 coming on strong with that Vangelis

[@TheodoreRizzo]

4:11 I love the illustration and how espn convey the picture from sporting event get to my tv set at home 😅 👍🏽👍🏽 I was 3 I love going back in time

[@davidandkamk]

I was looking around forever for the first jingle from ESPN, I remember it vividly but was unable to locate it until now. Funny how cutting edge this looked in 1980 and how very plain and old fashioned it all looks now.

[@nuancolar7304]

Bill Gates built his first computer in his garage. ESPN recorded their first day in somebody's garage.

[@Booker.T]

We all play it on Sunday when we drink a little beer

[@ManciniTVClassics]

Anheuser-Busch was the first and only sponsor with an annual contract on launch day so that explains it!

[@arealzero85]

My God, has this network come a long way or what? I mean, I'm sure that's par for the course and all, but I've never even considered seeing how this juggernaut sports network got it's start. It's actually quite refreshing seeing even things as big as ESPN had a beginning and had to earn their current status. Good stuff!

[@ritchienavarro2920]

Congratulations to espn for 40 years on the air.

[@JasonDelarosa2000]

And still going strong.

[@wiedep]

Happiness is seeing Bristol in your rear view mirror...

[@ChristopherSobieniak]

wiedep Well at least it holds some historic footnote in cable TV history (alongside Atlanta, GA, Virginia Beach, VA, Columbus, OH and a few other non-large areas).

[@wiedep]

I worked there for almost 3 years, nothing "historic" about feeding the sports addiction on cable tv.

[@ChristopherSobieniak]

wiedep I suppose. I just thought it was nice something like that was started there at all. This was an era when it seemed like anybody could start their own satellite/cable network out in the sticks and grow it into something big.

[@wiedep]

Not now

[@ManciniTVClassics]

Nowadays you can do it on the internet - KZbin channel - no need to lease a satellite transponder from RCA like Bill Rasmussen did with the ESPN launch!

[@jarrettlock2010]

I completely forgot that Sportscenter used the Vangelis song during the early days.

[@kascnef]

They must have paid rights to use it

[@agustingomez1590]

Happy Birthday ESPN!

[@JohnSmith-op1tc]

Major Ogilvie, who scored in the Alabama-Tennessee game down the stretch of this video seemed to play forever for the Crimson Tide.

[@VBaskin2010]

ESPN Is still going strong after almost 45 years!

[@ysmigraarzygler8387]

Bill Rasmussen, who first came up with the concept of ESPN and I believe named it and also put the money together it to get it on the air, was fired within two weeks of ESPN's first going on the air. HIs son Scott, who was also canned within two weeks of ESPN;s debut, also like his father made a ton of money from owing a small piece of ESPN, became very, very wealthy from it and became a political pollster who started the Rasmussen political poll.

[@ManciniTVClassics]

I was wondering if the Rasmussen poll had something to do with Bill. Thanks!

[@11matt11]

So ESPN fired their first far right wing Republican 2 weeks in. "That makes sense". Rasmussen polls are almost hilarious how politically inaccurate they are.

[@MerkinMuffly]

They started Rasmussen? No wonder they got fired.

[@traciefleshman998]

Getty Oil was the company that invested the money to keep espn going. Not Rasmussen if not for Getty and Evey ezpn would not be on air today.

[@markschlesinger]

When Dickie V was a Diaper Dandy, baby!

[@tommyparkerparker]

Happy 41 years ESPN.

[@robertschaddelee7527]

My best friend's dad played for Bear Bryant. Bryant said that whoever plays for me, I will give your kids free tuition to Bama

[@ManciniTVClassics]

Cool!

[@MGAF688]

Well then your best friend got a full ride. Nice.

[@Mark-sj3xb]

That sounds legit and legal to me....

[@ChrisBakerauthor]

John Forsythe is on the Michelob commercial at the end.

[@kevins90sc]

Cable was in it's infancy in '79 remember it well My Sonics Just won the NBA Title against the Washington Bullets a year after They lost to the same Bullets.Sonics owner Sam Shullman decided to start the "Sonics Super channel" to capitalize in our success Didn't go well for him but ESPN and Cable was here to stay Good times.

[@craigwillis4582]

you know it's the 70's when Boomer has a mustache

[@BlackNGoldRules]

Can you believe he's only 24 years old here? Lol

[@wildethang93]

Happy Birthday ESPN

[@raygordonteacheschess5501]

I first saw ESPN on Manhattan Cable at 8am one Saturday and knew they'd expand well beyond Aussie football and one day dominate the landscape. The world changed for me on that day.

[@rentslave]

They started each broadcast day at 6 PM, following 12 hours showing a screen of that night's programming.I have a tape of the screen on an afternoon in March 1980.

[@ManciniTVClassics]

It would be great if you could share it on KZbin!

[@ybrix101]

Wow. Showing a college marching band. Today the networks would call that a waste on their precious commercial air time.

[@Ibhenriksen]

The studio was literally the size of someone's living room!

[@ysmigraarzygler8387]

Chris Berman wasn't there on opening day, he started at ESPN about three weeks after it started broadcasting.

[@MSP10julia]

RIP Legend :(

[@stevep8445]

Back when ESPN was tolerable...

[@cliffhuxtable1216]

Rip...damm..time flies...

[@RickyPaquiot284]

*This is awesome!*

[@kevins90sc]

Remember as for Programming in the early day's of ESPN i would come Home from work and turn on ESPN they had POLO [horses] on ....well the Sports addict i was ...Learned what a "Chucker" was that night....[other sports have periods or Quarters] Polo has Chuckers....

[@NRFEPH]

ESPN: The Total Sports Cable Network is now ESPN: The Worldwide Leader in Sports.

[@MGAF688]

If ESPN is a leader in anything, then the Pope is really a Buddhist monk.

[@terencehill2320]

7 turnovers in a half for Bama and still only losing 17-7. WOW!

[@gregchandler888]

They have Division III scores on the crawler!! I love it!

[@gregsells8549]

Mostly from the Northeast. Seton Hall and Northeastern had football back then, and Buffalo hadn't moved up yet. Upsala no longer exists.

[@danielshumway7046]

I remember at first I was like, Total Sports Cable Network = ESPN? E for what?? P for what?? (yes, now I know...). Then we started watching and it was like slow pitch softball, log rolling and dog obstacle courses! But, it all worked out in the end...Thanks to guys like Dan Patrick and Chris Berman. Awesomeness.

[@hasanx4637]

I remember a lot of Australian football.

[@NRFEPH]

ESPN stoods for "Entertainment & Sports Programing Network".

[@rockvilleraven]

@@NRFEPH Jim Simpson left Channel 4 sports in DC to part of something historic with ESPN and he was right.

[@reedrothchild4013]

What a neat concept... a "Total Sports Network"... I wish we had a channel like that today, one that focused on sports and not "social justice" within sports...

[@MGAF688]

Fox makes veiled attempts at sports but even Fox fell into the same talking heads trap that ESPN is engulfed by.

[@Dr.Quarex]

Must hurt to be triggered this hard by people talking about sports

[@juliana.lymond2622]

Back When ESPN Is The Worldwide Leader In Sports Entertainment.

[@fundude4566]

Dicky V kind of looks like Bernie Sanders in this but with brown hair. Lol

[@chriskay1449]

So ESPN will turn 45 this September(2024).

[@mrchopsticks3]

Not enough slow pitch softball on TV these days.

[@thema1998]

Today is the *40* year anniversary of when ESPN launched. 🤓 EDIT- 4:00 P.M.: *finishes video 36 minutes later* It was cool seeing ESPN's birth, its first promos, and parts of an old Tennessee-Alabama game.

[@ManciniTVClassics]

40 years. Time flies!

[@andysimpson4414]

30:12 Chris Berman Back In 1979

[@roddavis8692]

Dicky v always had the tv get u hype voice he took over that interview

[@shannonfreeman2024]

And now we have ESPN 8 the ocho

[@TuberOnTheLoose]

Remember when they used to show games from that co-ed Canadian volleyball league?

[@kascnef]

And Australian rules football

[@justinthomas5423]

40 years later Tennessee is rebuilding 🤣🤣

[@jamesthomas788]

The good old days when ESPN was all sports and no politics and sjw bs.

[@AHuebner2004able]

RIP Lee Leonard

[@karagdagangimpormasyon4736]

Now ESPN is on a huge decline due to its hyped indirect competitors like KZbin, the Netflix, and everything on the internet world!!

[@syferdet]

33:18 KEEP ROLLING!!

[@MerkinMuffly]

Boomer sporting a porn-stache 30:13. This is hilarious, the game just went off air for 10 minutes and you had to explained what happened.

[@diegotherobloxfanatic6962]

Yep that was chris berman interrupting the game

[@jabbers081769]

awesome job

[@Jerseysson27]

#Happy40thBirthdayESPN

[@Tacorea]

Came here after listening to Business Wars.

[@1cardplayer]

Bring back the Mazda GLC and its price. 😂

[@awesome13jeff]

00:47 - 00:50 looks like a Mount Airy Lodge commercial

[@MrTulips21]

Wow a new car for $ 3995 dollars

[@69UM24OSU12]

Don't forget inflation. That's $13,810 in 2018 dollars.

[@MGAF688]

The average median income in 1979 was around $20,000 or so. It wasn't all roses in 1979. 1981 would bring about sweeping changes that helped improve our country dramatically. That is, until 1993 when a new dark age ensued.

[@justinthomas5423]

Must be nice

[@RoadCone411]

They spelled "Mark Aguirre" incorrectly...

[@Mark-sj3xb]

Yes they did. The way they spelled it, I would pronounce it “A Queer”

[@Raymund0]

@@Mark-sj3xb actually it's a Spanish name, so you need to pronounce it Ah gee(bee) rreh (strong R)

[@computer6863]

Full channel name: Entertainment Sports Programming Network Me: Why it doesn't air entertainment?

[@ManciniTVClassics]

Think of the reality of ESPN as an upstart tv channel (first national sports network) in 1979 going up against the big 3's monopoly at the time (ABC, CBS and NBC). Bill Rasmussen did not have money to buy sports rights other than the NCAA for the first year. So the E (Entertainment) piece was plan B in the event the channel was not successful.

[@VBaskin2010]

And yet it worked right @@ManciniTVClassics?!

[@mkirankumar6017]

Hatsoff

[@andysimpson4414]

29:00 Time To Start The 2nd Half Of 1st Collage Football Game On Espn

[@nazur72]

If that 79 Mazda had been in storage kept mint brand new would you pay 3995 for it today?

[@toddpinkstonisgod]

It blows my mind that Chris Berman was only 24 years old at this time in 1979...he certainly doesn’t look it, lol. Think about it: he’s the same age here as Timothee Chalamet is now, haha.

[@randydubin7118]

RIP Lee Leonard.

[@jimmeasel1985]

At :56.. an early nominee for Top 10 Plays of the Day. Would it make the Top 10 if it didn't go into the bottom of the cup.

[@andysimpson4414]

27:34 At The Half Show

[@locker-roomdwarf3549]

GOD BLESS

[@Mark-sj3xb]

Funny that money was spent on a commercial for tennis balls. Nowadays they are simply a loss leader for sporting goods stores sold cheap to get you in the door.

[@andysimpson4414]

27:38 Vols 17 Tide 7 Half

[@therealmaskedheel]

Dicky V looks like he's sporting an unibrow.

[@anthonylucero6458]

ESPN (exclusive sports programming network)

[@Loogaroo1]

Entertainment and Sports Programming Network

[@genegjr]

Now we have ESPN ESPN2 ESPNEWS ESPNW FOR WOMEN AND ESPN3 ESPN + AND THE ESPN APP 😮ITS grown since its start in 1979 its now owned by Disney but anyone out there know IF ESPN was owned by Capital cities/ABC before the Disney merger 😊😮

[@mikea5205]

23:00 he definitely went back to using

[@rockvilleraven]

I remember in the early days Dick Vitale talked too much, when he was paired with Jim Simpson, he put Vitale on a short leash, and Simpson said he was sensational ever since. Simpson was once the Sports Anchor at WRC 4 in the mid 60s-early 70s and went to ESPN to be a pioneer on sports broadcasting.

[@tommyparkerparker]

Before ESPN, Jim Simpson was at NBC.

[@rockvilleraven]

@@tommyparkerparker Later on for one year, Jim Simpson did TV play by play for the Orioles.

[@jenkinsljenkinssquire9137]

The days of the gay half shirt

[@fataudra7579]

1:03❤

[@joeypieper6384]

Rip Lee Leonard

[@londonisboss52]

They should've kept the intro song

[@tommyparkerparker]

38 years ago today

[@kascnef]

Wonder what espn will do for its 40th

[@andysimpson4414]

27:39 Tenn 17 Bama 7

[@douglasdevieira8666]

What time was officially inaugurated with the schedule of Friday.

[@EvilBraTT]

Electromagnetic radiation traveling 186,282 miles per second.